Trivial incident leads to arson at college campus
Trivial incident leads to arson at college campus
JAKARTA (JP): The command post of the National University's
student regiment in Pejaten area, South Jakarta, was set on fire
yesterday during a street brawl involving students and regiment
members.
The fire completely razed the station, which was utilized by
members the student regiment for campus security purposes.
Suprapto, head of the fire brigade, said yesterday that three
fire engines and eighteen firemen had been deployed to extinguish
the fire.
Yesterday's fight, amid a celebration of the university's 45th
anniversary, was triggered by last week's incident in which
several regiment members assaulted a student following a trivial
traffic incident on Jl. Pejaten Raya.
Witnesses said dozens of angry students, equipped with spiked
clubs and baseball bats, initially attacked two members of the
regiment in retaliation by ransacking their command post and
setting it on fire around 1:15 p.m.
The mob also attacked other regiment members trying to help
two of their colleagues.
The brawl subsided after dozens of anti-riot police and
military officers blockaded the area and dispersed the mob soon
after getting information on the incident.
"It was horrible," said Dian Lestari, 22, a student who was
taking care of a book stand. The mob started to gang up on the
regiment members, turning the festivities into chaos, she said.
Four regiment members, identified as Sandi Ronaldi, 25, Irvan,
27, Irsal Karmani, 26, and Ali, suffered major injuries and were
treated at the Siaga Raya hospital in South Jakarta.
Lt. Col. S.Y. Wenas, the chief of South Jakarta Police
Precinct, told reporters at the scene yesterday that the brawl
was triggered when members of the Association of Nature Lovers
(Himpala) found their office ransacked.
Wenas said the looting of their office prompted its owners to
link it with Friday's traffic incident involving members of
Himpala and the regiment, known as long-time opponents.
He said that the police have detained and are still
questioning ten students involved in the burning.
Student regiments and nature groups are common among the many
organizations on Indonesian campuses.
Aggressive
Legislators, however, asked Minister of Education and Cultural
Affairs Wardiman Djojonegoro recently to ban student regiments
following complaints from fellow students and lecturers because
of the para-military students often aggressive behavior.
Meanwhile, Heriudin, a senior regiment member, said that
blood-soaked Irvan and Sandi collapsed after trying to defend
themselves as well as the command post from the brutal attack.
"One regiment member named Ali was hit so hard that one of his
eyeballs popped out," he said, clearly distraught.
Ricky Setiawan, 22, a member of Himpala, however, feels that
members of the National University's student regiment, the oldest
private-run university in Indonesia, are for the most part very
arrogant.
"Many university students have been victims of regimental
brutality and forced to sign a letter later declaring that
everything okay," Ricky said, adding that Friday's incident
prompted Himpala to take revenge.
When asked about legal channels, he said the police usually
freeze regiment-related crime cases.
As if confirming the complaint, Heriudin said student
regiments throughout the Greater Jakarta area will lend a helping
hand to "solve" disputes on campus.
"It's a matter of esprit de corps," he said, while escorting
the victims to the hospital and asking his men to look for
members of Himpala.
Prior to yesterday's brawl, Himpala members also beat another
regiment member following Friday's incident.
Sources close to the university said academic activities, and
also the celebration, will be slowed down following the burning.
Bambang Permadi, a deputy-rector of the National University,
said he takes no sides in the year-long dispute. "I'm neutral in
this case and prefer to let the authorities solve it through
legal means."
Heriudin, a businessman and graduate of the university who
keeps military equipment in his minivan, called the mob cowards.
(09)