Bandar Lampung – The mourning of Yap Yun Hap who died of gunshot wounds had hardly lifted from the Indonesia University campus grounds, when news broke through that another student, M. Yusuf Rizal (23), has fallen victim at the Bandar Lampung University of Lampung on Tuesday (28/9). The victim participating in a demonstration against the Emergency Situations Draft, and a student at the Social Sciences Faculty of the University, was shot in the neck.
The tragic incident occurred during a chase of security troops who went after the students and started shooting following riots and clashes on the grounds of the Kedaton Military Rayon Commando Headquarters.
The military headquarters are located right opposite the Bandar Lampung University. More students were injured on the campus grounds. At least 31 students were injured, 11 are still in intensive care at the Abdoel Moeloek Hospital and at the Advent Hospital of Bandar Lampung. Nine security men were also injured in the melee.
"I cannot accept the fact that my child has sacrificed his life for nothing. He is not a criminal. The students took to the streets to voice the aspirations of the people and in a token of solidarity for their fallen friend in Jakarta. I, therefore, appeal to the military authorities and the police, to solve this case once and for all," Mahmud (60), Rizal's father said.
This pensioned teacher refused to accept the death of his son meekly.
The eleven injured students in hospital are, Remi Citra (20), student of the same university (UBL), Saidatul Fitria (21) FKIP Unila, Mujamil (22) Fisip Unila, and Riki Rusdi (22) Fisip UBL who is under treatment of the Advent Hospital. Seven other students in hospital care are, Ifan (20) UBL student, a. Rozak (22) Fisip Unila, Agung Prasetyo (20) UBL, Dika Rinaldi (20) UBL Accountancy student, Erlan (24) UBL, Fitriansyah (21) UBL, and M. Soleh Wahyudi (23) UBL student.
The victims are not in the best of conditions because of headwounds, injuries on hands and the stomach. Saidatul Fitri, a photographer of the Unila Teknokra campus paper was still unconscious yesterday evening. Oblivious of the infuse equipment and other life supporting machine, she lies prone in a hospital bed because a bullet had struck her forehead.
The action
Since 9.30am, a mixture of hundreds students from the Bandar Lampung University, Unila and other students, activists of the Democratic People Party (PRD) had assembled on the road in front of the UBL campus in protest against the Emergency Situations Draft. The demonstration was also hedl in a token of solidarity for the death of Yap Yun Hap.
Shouting slogans, the demonstrating crowd filled the surroundings of Jalan ZA Pagaralam, Kedaton, some 2,5 kilometers from the city center of Bandar Lampung. Then, for some unknown reason, people were running and entered the yard of the military headquarters in front of the UBL campus. The crowd demanded of the military to fly the flag half mast as a mark of mourning for their friend, Yun Hap in Jakarta. Eight military men looked on helplessly and the crowd lowered the Red White flag to half mast.
After that the crowd went out of hand. In a bout of emotional uprising, they took down the name board of the Military Rayon Commando and started to stone the military headquarters. Glass panes up front of the premises provided a scene of total destruction. A combined unit of security personnel, like a unit of Anti-Riot District Police from Lampung, a unit of the Mobile Brigade, and military men of the 043 Military Resort Commando, Black Eagle, which had since long been alerted, were trying to hold back the advancing mob. Police Chief Bandar Lampung Resort, Lt. colonel TMB Siahaan, who led the counter operation appealed to the mob not to damage anything.
But, the answer was a hail of stones, broken tiles, and other hard objects. Warning shots in the air and tear gas could not hold the mob back. Full clashes could not be avoided as hundreds of security men stood ready to fight the mob around 60 meters away.
Both groups were involved in a stone throwing session. The troops crawled in an advancing stance and rained bullets on the angry mob in front of them. People fled for safety in all directions, most of them tried to find refuge on UBL campus grounds. But, the chase went on. Casualties could no longer be avoided on both sides. A number of students fell to the ground inside the university complex when they got hit by bullets. One of the students was Rizal who was fataly hit in the neck.
The Commander of 043 Military Resort Commando Black Eagle, Colonel Mudjiono, said after the clashes that the demonstration was the ultimate of brutality. It was there for everyone to see, they were not demonstrating, but, they were out on a destruction and assault mission of government buildings and government officials.
"This is not a genuine student action," said Mudjiono.
Ongoing action
In spite of the sacrifices and deferment of the Emergency Situation Draft by government, students in Medan, Jakarta and Semarang, do not seem to stop their actions against the Emergency Draft. They demanded a total withdrawal of the draft.
In Medan students of Sisimangaraja University XII were staging a demo in front of the campus. Three long college desks were set up on the road, old tyres were set ablaze which created a traffic disturbance in no time.
In Semarang, a PRD mob staged an action on foot which moved towards Parliament House and the District Police Headquarters of Central Java. The crowd demanded responsibility from Chief Commander General Wiranto and President Habibie for the shootings and violence suffered by anti-Emergency Law students and the public.
In Jakarta, various student and public groups were holding a flower ritual at the beginning of Jalan Garnison, next to Atma Jaya University campus. About thousand UI students arrived from the university's campus in Depok to join the flower tribute after participating in a walk along the Dr. Satrio Artery Road in the neighborhood of the Casablanca area.
Other than students, North Sumatra farmers who joined the People Movement for Agricultural Reformation (Gerag) joined demonstrations in respect of the Semanggi Tragedy II victim. Attired in farmer outfits, longsleeves, and handwoven cloth, they walked from down from the Casablanca area. After the flower tribute at the site of the incident, prayers were said for the victim and the student cause.
After the flower ceremony, UI students staged an action at the end of Jalan Garnison. There went on shouting slogans and sang anti-military songs.
"We don't just demand withdrawal of the Emergency Draft, but we want politics free from military elements," one of the demonstrators said.