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)