Violence mars Islamic student congress

SURABAYA, East Java (JP): Only one day after it decided to present a "democratic fighter" award to Megawati Soekarnoputri, and a "scapegoat" award for an acquitted murder suspect, a student organization resorted to violence to settle their dispute yesterday.

Participants of the Indonesian Islamic University Students Movement (PMII) congress were involved in a brawl yesterday following dissatisfaction over poor services, including the late distribution of handouts by the congress committee.

Some of the participants threw chairs at committee members and their supporters, and tried to beat them. Their targets, however, resisted.

"The committee members acted like bureaucrats in their treatment of us while the security guards (also students) overacted," said Benny Ramdhani, the Manado branch chairman.

PMII, affiliated with the 30 million-strong member Moslem organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), began its 12th congress Monday to elect a new chairman.

The congress was opened by State Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Hayono Isman.

It decided Monday to present a PMII award to Megawati, the ousted chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) for her tireless struggle to promote democracy.

It was also decided to present an award to Dwi Sumaji alias Iwik, the sole suspect in the highly publicized murder of journalist Fuad Muhammad Syarifuddin who was acquitted by the Bantul District Court in Yogyakarta Thursday. The students described Iwik as a scapegoat, and said efforts to frame him were masterminded by a "certain irresponsible group".

The students were involved in heated debate following a controversial proposal from the East Java branch.

"We propose to change the name from the Indonesian Islamic University Students Movement to the Indonesian Independent University Students Association," branch chairman Imam Nahrowi said.

Imam argued the change was needed to emphasize its independent status, an argument flatly rejected by the majority of participants.

In response to participants' complaints, chairman Muhaimin Iskandar said: "It is merely a technical matter. We are still printing out materials and we are rather late in delivering them".

Muhaimin escaped from the congress venue after his opponents threatened to kill him. (nur/prb)