The Nommensen case

The Nommensen case

From Republika

A student demonstration ending in violence took place again at
the campus of HKBP Nommensen University in Medan. The clash
between the police and students, resulting in the death of two
students, happened on May 1, 2000. Many people have strongly
criticized the violence and the police were again accused of
human rights violations.

It is unfair that the evaluation be solely based on the
results of the incident. In each case of excess violence, the law
of cause and effect is almost never used to determine the actual
facts.

Like the saying goes, there is no smoke without fire. This
also applies to cases of violence during demonstrations. It is
almost certain that if there are victims on the side of the
demonstrators, there is also a cause that triggers repressive
action by the security forces.

In the Nommensen case the trigger of the incident is clear.
Policemen were taken hostage by students at the Nommensen campus.
That is criminal. And the arrival of the police at the site of
the hostage-taking is hard to link with the concept of campus
autonomy. The layman thinks that campus autonomy is related to
academic activities. So, the criminal behavior of some Nommensen
students by taking policemen hostage at their campus was not at
all related to campus autonomy.

The police, in relation to violations of the law, do not
recognize campus authority. The police are certainly entitled to
enter any territory in this country as long as it is connected
with infringement of the law, with the exception of embassies.

The loss of life during the incident at the Nommensen campus
is deplorable and is our common concern. The police fired shots
because the situation certainly required them to do so. On the
other hand the students pelted the police with stones in an act
of emotion that can be ascribed to mass psychology.

Unavoidable violence in a demonstration should be evaluated
from the aspect of cause and effect. The security forces have
been accused of violating human rights, but what about the
demonstrators who may have triggered the violent action? In this
context the formulation of human rights violations becomes
biased.

DONALD PANJAITAN

Tangerang, West Java