Two killed as protesters continue taking yo streets

Two killed as protesters continue taking yo streets

JAKARTA (JP): Two men, including a police officer, were killed
at rallies yesterday as anti-government protesters took to the
streets again in many cities.

The first victim, Mozes Gatot Kaca, 39, a member of the
Yogyakarta Search & Rescue (SAR) team, died on Friday evening
after being struck a fatal blow to the back of his head with a
blunt object.

A colleague from the Gilas 2911 MT nature lovers group told
The Jakarta Post yesterday that Gatot had been badly beaten by
security officers when they dispersed thousands of protesters on
Jl. Gejayan.

Staff at Panti Rapih hospital said that Gatot was brought to
the hospital by students of Sanata Dharma University at about 10
p.m.

Iriadi Makruf, one of the victim's colleagues, said Gatot, who
graduated from the local Academy of Industry in the early 1980s,
and three friends were about to dine at a restaurant around 8
p.m. when they were set upon by security officers chasing 1,000
student protesters near Yogyakarta Teachers' Training Institute
and Sanata Dharma University.

Without giving prior notice, the security personnel surrounded
and beat the four men with clubs and sticks, forcing them to
flee.

"None of the other three men knew Gatot's whereabouts until
the news of his death broke this morning," Makruf said.

When asked to comment, Yogyakarta Police chief Col. Bani
Siswono confirmed the incident, but said it wasn't easy for his
officers to recognize innocent people when it was dark.

The Friday protest left 31 people, including innocent
bystanders such as fish traders, requiring medical treatment at
army and police hospitals.

Most streets in the city were still closed yesterday. Many
public facilities, including traffic lights, telephone booths and
a police post, were damaged during the incident.

Second victim

The second victim, Second Lt. Dadang Rusmana, 43, died from a
serious wound to the back of his head. He was head of the Bogor
Police intelligence unit.

Bogor Regional Police chief Col. Abubakar Nataprawira, told
The Jakarta Post last night that Dadang was hit by a stone thrown
by protesters just after the plainclothes officer had completed
his evening prayers at a mosque near the demonstration in Ciawi.

"We are now questioning seven students from Juanda University
over their alleged role in the death of my man and serious
injuries inflicted on a military intelligence officer," he said.

According to Abubakar, the students, who were also praying at
the mosque, recognized a plainclothes military officer, Capt.
Ali, head of the Bogor intelligence section. They dragged him out
and beat him.

"While the students displayed Ali to their fellow protesters
outside the mosque, some demonstrators began to throw stones, one
of which struck Dadang on the head as he attempted to rescue
Ali," Abubakar said.

Gatot and Dadang are the first fatalities in the spate of
anti-government rallies which have swept across the country.
Hundreds of people have been injured.

The protests were initiated by students in late February
following the rise in price of essential goods due to the
economic crisis.

Recent street protests in Medan, North Sumatra, have sparked
brutal riots in which at least two men have been killed, hundreds
wounded, and many shops reduced to rubble.

Prior to leaving for Egypt yesterday, President Soeharto
personally urged the nation to calm down and maintain national
stability.

However, people seem to have ignored the plea.

Hours after his departure, a violent clash between security
authorities and protesters occurred on Jl. Solo in front of Sunan
Kalijaga State Institute of Islamic Studies (IAIN) in Yogyakarta.

More than 80 people -- including two journalists -- were
injured when the police and military attacked the sea protesters
from four universities.

The officers entered the campus and chased the students into
the IAIN mosque.

When one of the injured journalists, Tarko Sudiarno, revealed
his profession, the officer who had beaten him, replied:
"Journalists are traitors to this nation."

Elsewhere in the city, 5,000 students from Gajah Mada
University staged a rowdy protest on their campus.

Feared about the possibility of violence, shop owners hastily
closed up for the day.

A clash was also reported on Jl. Dipati Ukur in the heart of
the West Java capital of Bandung yesterday afternoon. At least 20
students from Padjajaran University were left wounded.

A discussion on reform was staged at Bandung Institute of
Technology yesterday. Economist Laksamana Sukardi was a guest
speaker.

Noisy but peaceful protests were also staged by thousands of
students at campuses in several cities, including Jakarta and
Semarang.

Rahmatullah L.N., a student leader at Attahiriyah Islamic
University in South Jakarta said: "We'll continue to rally until
this country has a new leadership and total political and
economic reform has been carried out."

In Semarang, Central Java, Minister of Justice Muladi joined
the crowd of 1,000 protesters at Diponegoro University. Muladi is
still rector of the university, despite being a cabinet minister.
(team)