Jakarta – National student union Cipayung Group criticized the government Friday for arresting nine of its members during a recent rally marking National Solidarity Day in Medan, North Sumatra.

Dedy Rachmadi, chairman of the Indonesian Nationalist Students Movement (GMNI) and member of Cipayung Group, said his friends were arrested Wednesday and detained for a day by the Medan Police after being attacked and involved in a physical clash with a political youth wing. None of the youth wing members were detained in the brawl, he said.

The clash took place as GMNI members were on their way to the National Solidarity Day ceremony attended by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

"We believe the youth group was deliberately set to confront us because the police did not do anything to stop them initially," Dedy told reporters during a press conference. "The police instead blamed our friends for the clash." (JP/lln)