Students urge probe into Makassar deaths

Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Makassar

Thousands of students in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar marched on Wednesday to commemorate the killing of three local students in a clash with security forces in 1996.

The protesters were students from the Indonesian Islamic University (UMI), University of Makassar (UNM), Muhammadiyah University and the State Academy of Islamic Studies (IAIN) and they demanded the deaths be thoroughly investigated.

They urged the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to establish a fact-finding team to look into the bloody tragedy.

"We have gathered here in the street to urge Komnas HAM to find the cause of our friends' deaths, which remains unclear," a student leader, identified only as Aqil, told a free speech forum during the demonstration.

Fellow protesters also called on the South Sulawesi legislative council to set up a special committee to investigate the murder, added the protesting students.

Their other demands included the revocation of the Indonesian Military's (TNI) much-condemned dual function, which allows it to be involved in political affairs.

The dead victims were Syaiful Bya, Muhammad Tasrif and Andi Sultan Iskandar, all UMI students who were killed when security personnel stormed their campus on Jl. Urip Sumohardjo on April 24, 1996.

Wednesday's rally started from the Islamic Panaikang cemetery, in which Syaiful Bya and Tasrif are buried.

Before the protesters ended their rally at Andi's grave in the Islamic Dadi cemetery, they marched to the provincial legislative council from UMI's campus and Makassar's 1945 University campus.

Aqil added the rally was also aimed at commemorating Makassar's student movement against the Soeharto government's fuel price policy, which disadvantaged low-income people.

It was also to commemorate the frequent clashes between the police and military with anti-government demonstrators, he said. "The action is actually meant to observe the student spirit of resistance against the TNI and police."

Speaker of the South Sulawesi legislative council Amin Syam, who met the demonstrators, vowed to pass on their demands to Komnas HAM and other relevant authorities as a "priority".

The demonstrators dispersed peacefully. There was no report of any clashes during the protest, which caused heavy traffic on Jl. Urip Sumohardjo.

Makassar Police chief Sr. Comr. Amin Saleh, who monitored the rally closely, thanked the students for the peaceful demonstration.