Students say sticks for self-defense

JAKARTA (JP): Students said at a media conference on Monday that they used bamboo and wooden sticks to protect themselves from security personnel's violent actions during student demonstrations.

They accused security personnel of provoking students to respond to the latter's violent actions by using the sticks for self-defense.

"Initially, we did not want to use sticks. But we later decided to use them after we experienced severe mistreatment by security personnel during the demonstrations," said Jimmy Fadjar, an activist of Forum Kota (City Forum), a loose alliance of university student groups in the city.

Students, especially from Forum Kota, have carried over the past few months bamboo and wooden sticks during protests. They often camouflage the sticks by attaching Forum Kota's flags to them.

The students sharpened the tips of the sticks during a recent demonstration at the Senayan flyover in Central Jakarta when they protested the deliberation of the state security bill at the House of Representatives (DPR).

At least eight student groups took part in the demonstration last Friday. The protest ended with a clash between the students and security personnel. Three security personnel were injured.

Two of the eight student groups -- Forum Kota and the Student Action Front for Reform and Democracy (Famred) -- were seen carrying sticks during the protest. Several members of Forum Kota were holding sharpened sticks.

Jimmy said, however, that the move (of sharpening the sticks) was done on the protesters' initiatives.

Sharpening

"The organization (Forum Kota) did not order them to sharpen the tips of the sticks. They did it on their own initiative," he said, adding that Forum Kota would reprimand its members not to sharpen them in consideration of the organization's public image.

"We will take stern measures against any Forum Kota members who use sharpened sticks as it will tarnish our image in society," he said.

"Who will join us in our campaign against the ruling authorities if the community has a negative impression of us ?"

Suwardi, an activist of Famred, echoed Jimmy's statement, saying that his organization never ordered its members to use sticks.

"There was no agreement among group members to use sticks during demonstrations," he said.

Students emphasized the danger of enacting the state security bill, which they said would harm democracy.

"The bill, if enacted, will harm democratization in the country. It will also be used by the government and military to legalize their actions in suppressing the people's resistance movement," Jimmy said, while he read a joint statement by several university student groups. The conference was held at the Perbanas business college on Jl. Rasuna Said in South Jakarta.

Student representatives who attended the conference were from the Trisakti University Students Family (KAMTRI) and the Communication Forum for Jakarta Universities' Student Senates (FKSMJ). (asa)