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)