Zaky Pawas, Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Vento Saudale & Natasia Christy Wahyuni – Police Mobile Brigade officers broke into an office of a student organization early on Thursday, beating its members and arresting three students as demonstration against proposed fuel price hikes continue to intensify.
Members of the Islamic Students' Association (HMI) were holding a protest against the impending price hike in Cikini, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday evening when officers from the brigade known as Brimob forcefully dispersed them.
"They aimed their rifles at us. They beat and chased us," said Alfian Ramadhani, the deputy secretary general of HMI's Jakarta and Banten chapter.
A group of officers then went to the organization's secretariat in Cilosari, Cikini, early on Thursday to search for the "masterminds" of the demonstration. "They ruined our office, beat our members and took three of members to Menteng Police station," Alfian said.
Police confirmed they searched the HMI's office, claiming the students had caused public disorder and chaos. "We have to disperse them and find out who was behind the demonstration. We have a law for that," Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said.
He said the students had burned tires and closed down streets in Menteng. "We tried to talk to them, but they fought back. We had no choice but to bring them down. We arrested three students but released them," Rikwanto said.
Students staged rallies in several cities across the country on Thursday in reaction to the government's plan to increase the price of subsidized fuel by 33 percent in April.
In Bogor, a group of students threw rotten tomatoes at the Presidential Palace. Police arrested several students during the demonstration.
In Solo, students held a long march across the city, causing traffic jams, while in Denpasar, students staged a theatrical performance, accusing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of not listening to the people.
Several student organizations vowed to hold bigger rallies prior to the price increase.
The Indonesian Students National Consolidation (Konami) said representatives from 128 campuses in 21 provinces would came to Jakarta to take part in further demonstrations. "We will topple SBY-Boediono," Konami chairman Jati Pramestianto said.
Intelligence expert Wawan Purwanto said the protests would not emulate the students' movement that brought down former President Suharto in 1998. "There was dualism of leadership in 1998, but now the police and the military are solid under one command," he said.
However, Wawan also said that the rallies would cause chaos in several parts of the country.
Djoko Suyanto, the coordinating minister for political, legal and defense affairs, said the government would never prohibit students from demonstrating but urged them to do so peacefully.
"We know our students. They have to express themselves," the minister said. "However, I call on them to voice their aspirations in accordance with the law and social norms."