Students urge life sentence for soldier

PADANG, West Sumatra: Around 100 students from Bung Hatta University demonstrated here on Wednesday demanding that a military officer be sentenced to life imprisonment for murder.

The protest was staged at the military court's office on Jalan Sudirman in the West Sumatra capital of Pandang.

They urged the court to jail First Brig. Edi Sugiarto for the alleged murder of Timbul Halomoan Hasibuan, 22, a fellow student at the university, on June 2 last year.

Military prosecutors have demanded a 12-year jail term for the defendant, but protest leader Elfendery told the court to be objective and hand him a much heavier sentence.

The trial will resume next Monday to hear the defense. --JP