Gede Suardana, Denpasar – Although anti-military demonstrations in Jakarta have proceeded safely, it wasn’t so in Denpasar Bali. On Friday May 21, around 50 students and youths who where demonstrating against the military were beaten by scores of children from the TNI (armed forces) belonging to a group called the Indonesian Sons and Daughters Communication Forum (Forum Komunikasi Putra-Putri Indonesia, FKPPI).

The incident began when demonstrators from the Network Against Militarism and the New Order [regime of former President Suharto] (Jaringan Anti Militerisme dan Orba, JAM Orba) were giving speeches at the Udayana University in Denpasar. They were expressing their opposition to presidential candidates from the military and New Order.

The demonstrators were also carrying posters with photographs of [presidential candidate and former armed forces chief] Wiranto with the writing “The butcher of East Timor” and photographs of [former coordinating minister for politics and security] Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) with the writing “[The one who] conceived the Aceh military operation” along with a number of other derogatory posters.

Following the action at the campus, at 2.50pm the students were proceeding on foot via Jalan Diponegoro towards the Udayana IX Territorial Military Command [which overseas the provinces of Bali, East and West Nusa Tenggara and East Timor before it became independent] when they were intercepted by a group of people of about the same number as the demonstrators.

The groups was wearing FKPPI uniforms with brown camouflage and were much more heavily built than the demonstrators. Realising that their way had been blocked, four of the demonstrators tried to negotiate with FKPPI members but were then hit by members from the FKPPI.

The unfortunate demonstrators then ordered their other friends to run but the FKPPI members Chassid them resulting in them scattering in all directions. The incident occurred at the Jalan Udayana intersection right in front of the Bank Mandiri and Bank International Indonesia and because it happened so quickly it also caused a traffic jam.

The children from the military also grabbed the posters attacking Wiranto and SBY and the bamboo sticks which the posters were attached to were used to beat the demonstrators. A woman demonstrator was detained and “interrogated” in order to find out who was involved in the action and who the leaders were. The woman was even beaten although not very roughly. The FKPPI demonstrators also ripped up the posters which they had been able to seize.

The student demonstrators then scattered and ran back to the campus. “Perhaps the attack was stopped after [they] know that there was a demonstrator who was seriously wounded”, said one of the demonstrators after arriving at the Udayana campus.

The student who was seriously injured was Joseph Eko K. Tako alias Agus (27). Agus, who is a student at the Udayana University Faculty of Law, had his head gashed had to have six stitches and is now being treated at the Sanglah public hospital in Denpasar. Another demonstrator, Erni, was wounded in the knee. (nrl)

[Translated by James Balowski.]