Andi Hajramurni and Oyos Saroso H.N., Makassar/Bandarlampung – Students in Makassar, South Sulawesi, commemorated the World Human Rights Day on Friday by attacking and damaging three police posts and beating three police officers.

One of the three injured officers, named Comr. Abdul Azis, was hit on his cheek by a stone. An employee of a car showroom, identified as Andi Burhanuddin, was also hurt during the commotion.

Aside from vandalizing the police posts, the students also damaged four police cars – two patrol cars, one for community information and an official car belonging to the Makassar Traffic Police – as well as a motorcycle owned by an officer.

The three posts were located on Jl. Sultan Alauddin, Jl. Letjen Andi Herstaning and Jl. Andi Pangeran Pettarani in Makassar. Most windows at the posts were broken.

In their action the students demanded that a number of human rights violation cases in South Sulawesi be thoroughly settled, including the student shooting by an officer in a clash between students and the police on Thursday.

"We demand that the police be responsible for the shooting of two students yesterday. One of the two was hit by a rubber bullet. This violated human rights," an unidentified protester said.

In Bandarlampung, Lampung province, residents of Talangsari, who were also victims of the Talangsari bloody incident in 1989, reminded the government about their rights as victims.

Hundreds of the tragedy's victims asked the government to follow up discoveries by the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) about violations carried out by certain soldiers during the New Order government in Talangsari. They also asked that their names be rehabilitated to enable them to live freely as other citizens of the Republic of Indonesia did.

"For years our status has not been clear. We are Indonesian citizens, but in reality our rights are sidelined. We are stigmatized thus far as rebels. Therefore, our children cannot get jobs easily," said victim Azwar Khaili, 76, on Friday.

According to Khaili, the Yudhoyono government was not serious enough about thoroughly settling human right violations in Talangsari. "We know Komnas HAM has struggled for us through its investigation, but its solution is unclear. We demand justice," he said.

Azwari, 63, another victim, said that aside from unclear citizenship, the Talangsari victims also demand compensation from the government.

"Hundreds died during the tragedy after being crushed by soldiers. Many victims were captured, tortured and later released without any legal process. I myself used to be a civil servant, but lost my job only because I was accused of being a rebel," Azwari said.

The tragedy took place on Feb. 7, 1989 in Talangsari, Lampung Tengah regency. A troop from Garuda Hitam military district command attacked the village on suspicion that the local residents intended to set up an Indonesian Muslim State.

In Medan, North Sumatra, hundreds of people from various elements of the community also staged rallies, asking the government to thoroughly settle many human rights violation cases in the province. The rally was under tight guard from the police officers.

One of their demands, for example, dealt with the immediate settlement of a murder of a Momensen University student in 2000. "For years there has been no progress on it. Settle it as soon as possible," the protesters said in unison.

In Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, hundreds of students held a free-speech forum in front of the governor's office and the local legislative council building. The rally was marked by throwing rotten eggs on the photo of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Boediono.

[Apriadi Gunawan and Yemris Fointuna contributed to this article from Medan and Kupang.]