Tight security at Trisakti graduation

JAKARTA (JP): Hordes of police officers guarded the Jakarta Convention Center on Saturday during the Trisakti University graduation ceremony after rumors circulated that technical high- school students would disrupt the convocation.

Students from a technical high school in Central Jakarta were rumored to have planned to crash the ceremony in retaliation for the beating of some of their colleagues by students of the city's biggest private university earlier this month. The graduation ceremony proceeded smoothly.

One police officer said they were assigned to guard the building after the Central Jakarta police precinct received an anonymous letter stating that hundreds of the technical high school students would revenge the beatings.

University student Rachmad Chandra was stabbed by a group of technical high school students on April 17. Hundreds of the university students then waylaid buses passing the university on Jl. Kyai Tapa in West Jakarta, thrashing any high school student on the buses.

Similar clashes occurred at the university's East Jakarta campus on Jl. Ahmad Yani the following day. The university's students chased down and beat up several high school students.

University rector Moedanton Moertedjo could not be reached for comment on Saturday. (04)