Yudi still being treated

Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Parents of Yudi Susanto, a student of the Jakarta State University (UNJ) injured in Thursday's demonstration outside the Supreme Court building, have entrusted all matters regarding the incident, including a lawsuit against the police, to the UNJ Student Executive Body (BEM).

"I just wish to see my son recover quickly and able to attend classes again," said Puniran, Yudi's father, who has been at his son's bedside at Pondok Indah Hospital, South Jakarta, since Friday.

Yudi, 23, a student of the school of mechanical engineering at UNJ, suffered a fracture to the rear right side of his skull, caused by blows from police batons during the demonstration. The police claimed they had been provoked first.

Suparno, one of Yudi's seniors at BEM-UNJ who was watching over him at the hospital on Sunday, said that Yudi could not be interviewed at the moment because doctors had strictly forbidden visitors.

"His temperature tends to rise if he is too exhausted," he said.

He also explained that the doctors had previously planned to operate on Yudi but then reverted to non-surgical treatment while waiting for a full diagnosis in the next two days.

All of Yudi's expenses at the hospital will be paid by BEM-UNJ from donations of students and parents.

"We have decided to turn down the police offer to pay for his medical expenses," Suparno said, stressing that they only demanded that the police be prosecuted for their brutality during the demonstration.

Thursday's clash between students and the police resulted in 73 protesters being taken to hospital with 53 taken to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM) and Gatot Subroto Army Hospital (RSPAD). Six were seriously injured and had to stay in the hospital.

Yudi is the only one still in hospital as the five others have been discharged. He was then transferred by his parents from RSCM to Pondok Indah Hospital on Friday.

Dozens of student representatives from various universities, which joined Thursday's demonstration, had reported the Jakarta Police to the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) on Saturday, demanding a full inquiry into the bloodiest clash between demonstrators and police since the police became independent from the military in 2000.