Jakarta – As the Golkar Party fraction celebrated following the release of Golkar Party general chairperson Akbar Tanjung [from corruption charges], Yudi, a student from the Jakarta State University (UNJ) is still languishing in the Pondok Indah hospital in Jakarta. Yudi suffered injuries to the back of the head after being beaten by police while demonstrating at the Supreme Court building [on February 12]. “Yudi has been moved to the Pondok Indah hospital”, said Iwan, the chairperson of the UNJ Student Executive Council on Friday February 13.

The actions by police who beat students when they were demonstrating at the Supreme Court building has been condemned by legislative candidates from the Youth Coalition of Legislative Candidates (Koalisi Caleg Muda, KCM), the Youth Alliance of Legislative Candidates (Aliansi Caleg Muda, ACM) and the One Indonesia Committee (Komite Indonesia Satu, KIS).

“At the demonstration I clearly saw that the police sided with the anti-democratic groups, and their brutal actions against the pro-democratic groups. We, in the name of the legislative candidate and ex-1998 [pro-democracy] activists, strongly condemn the actions of the police who have indeed become the enemies of the student movement”, asserted KIS spokesperson Wahab.

He reminded the police, as law enforcement officers, that they should in fact be proud to see the actions of the pro-democracy student movement. “They forget, there are scores of students who are children of police [officers] who have [also] joined the pro-democracy movement. Have they forgotten? Are they embarrassed?”, said Wahab.

ACM spokesperson, Banyu Biru Djarot, accused the police of wanting to kill-off the student movement through repressive actions which represent a violation of the law.

University of Indonesia criminologist, Mulyana W. Kusumah, said that by now the police should have been able to get rid of its militaristic character. “But obviously, these [kinds of] actions, which can [only] be called police brutality, are still going on. It is extremely disappointing”, he said.

Separately, the head of the Metro Jaya police, Inspector General Makbul Padmanagara, said that the police regretting that a clash had occurred between students and police. “I apologise to the public because people were hurt during the clash”, he said.

Padmanagara also said that he was concerned about the clash, that an action which had began peacefully, both on the part of the pro- and contra- groups, could change in just seven minutes and become a violent incident. This incident should be of concern because it demonstrates how easy it is for our nation to be set against each other [he said]. (rts/adp/win)

[Translated by James Balowski.]