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