Students stabbed at DPR still critical

JAKARTA (JP): The two university students stabbed in a confrontation with police and troops early on Tuesday at the front gate of the House of Representatives (DPR) complex were still in a critical condition after more than 24 hours of treatment.

According to their relatives, the two were still in the intensive care unit at Atmajaya Hospital in Pluit, North Jakarta, on Wednesday evening after undergoing emergency surgery.

The two, Muhammad Yanwar Adi, 18, from the Institute of Social and Political Sciences (IISIP) and Harry Joko, 19, from the National Institute of Science and Technology (ISTN) were admitted to the hospital shortly after the incident.

The two are believed to have been stabbed with bayonets during the clash when security officers evicted the students from the DPR grounds.

The security officers have yet to disclose who they suspect carried out the stabbings.

Yanwar's elder sister Rika said on Wednesday that her brother "was stabbed in the waist which, according to doctors, wounded his kidneys".

Doctors, she said, had given Yanwar, at least 15 bags of blood to keep him alive. They have told his family to prepare more bags.

ISTN rector Ahmad Fuad Ashdal said the institute would help finance Harry's treatment. (emf)