Jakarta – Students at Jakarta State University (UNJ) held demonstrations against former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's visit on Saturday, where he was the special guest in a discussion held at the university.
After the forum concluded, a group of 10 students stood outside the university as Yudhoyono exited, bearing banners and using a megaphone to convey their message. Security officers and forum organizers managed to disperse the crowd before Yudhoyono left.
Students turned their anger on the security officers after Yudhoyono left, and a scuffle between the two sides nearly broke out.
"We are students here, why were we being dispelled? We are questioning why [Yudhoyono] came. He committed a human rights violation at the National University (Unas)," said one student as quoted by kompas.com.
The student was referring to a 2008 incident where a male student at Jakarta's National University died after clashing with police during a protest to reject a fuel-price increase.
The student's death ignited more controversy after doctors at Pertamina Hospital in South Jakarta ruled the death was the result of AIDS complications, despite many witnesses reporting he had been beaten by police and admitted to the hospital with head injuries. (dyl)