Witnesses vague on burner of post
Witnesses vague on burner of post
JAKARTA (JP): Three witnesses in the trial of six students of the National University testified yesterday at the South Jakarta District Court, saying that they did not see who burned the regiment headquarters on Oct. 18.
The three witnesses are Bambang Permadi, the National University's Deputy Rector, Furqan Buchari, the university's Students Affairs Department Chief, and Tubagus Yanuar Sumawinata, the head of the university's Household Affairs.
Bambang Permadi told presiding judge Moegihardjo that on Oct. 18, shortly after accompanying the rector to the opening of a seminar on campus, he heard an explosion.
"Shortly after the explosion a security guard came to my office to report that the student regiment command post was on fire," he said.
Bambang said Irvan, a member of the student regiment, then came to his office carrying a knife and saying that the fire in the regiment headquarters had been lit by members of the Association of Nature Lovers Association (Himpala).
"But I did not see who burned the regiment's headquarters," he said.
Bambang said when Irvan was in his office, around one hundred students gathered in the university compound protesting the existence of the regiment. He said 10 Himpala members banged on his door and when he opened it he was asked to calm the protesting students.
He also told the judge that clashes between the student regiment and Himpala members had occurred several times well before the Oct. 18 incident.
He said he has repeatedly advised the regiment and Himpala members to find some way to end their differences.
"I have received a report from the university's Students' Affairs Dept. that the secretariat of Himpala was destroyed by the regiment members," he said, adding that he had reported it to the Pasar Minggu police station.
The second witness, Furqan Buchari, who also stated that he did not see who burnt the regiment headquarters, said that the incident on Oct. 18 might have something to do with another incident which occurred on Aug. 7, 1994.
"I was informed that on Aug. 7, when Himpala held a music festival on campus, a member of the committee of the festival told some of the regiment members that they had to pay an entrance fee to watch the festival," he said.
Furqan said a regiment member named Charles then attacked a student named Jacky.
He also said that on Oct. 16, two days before the burning of the regiment headquarters, he was told that some of the regiment members had destroyed Himpala's secretariat.
The third witness, Tubagus Yanuar Sumawinata also stated that he knew the regiment headquarters had been burnt but he did not know who did it.
"I was working in my office that afternoon when I heard someone screaming for help, saying there was a big fight and I saw fire in the regiment's headquarters," he said.
The six defendants are Benedictus Satrio Widyanarto, Yahdi Jamhur, Rakai Aria Dipa Erlangga, Darmawan, Budi Murdiyanto and Reza Pahlevi.
Tubagus said defendant Syech Al Djufri broke the windows of some offices while Yahdi Jamhur threw firecrackers into the rooms.
The six defendants are among 12 students -- all members of the Association of Natures Lovers Association accused of intentionally assaulting four members of the university's student regiment and of burning the regiment's headquarters..
The alleged attack came after regiment members reportedly destroyed the association's secretariat.
The incident, which gave rise to the two trials, occurred during a celebration of the university's 45th anniversary. Five students were injured in the fighting.
Judge Moegihardjo adjourned the trial until tomorrow to question the same three witnesses in the trial of the other six defendants, Syech Al Djufri, Agus Heryana Anirun, Kusnadi Darisan, Sudrajat Trisna, Indra Mulia Ismet Kamal and Wahyu Sugito. (mas)