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)