TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Anyone found rioting or resorting to anarchism during demonstrations against oil price hike can be detained, stated Vice President Jusuf Kalla on Friday.
"I appreciate that the police have taken firm action. Rioters must be detained. Yesterday, four were arrested because they were involved in rioting by pelting stones," he told reporters, as quoted by Antara News.
Kalla added that people were allowed to protest against the governments plan to raise the price of subsidized fuel oils, but they will be arrested if found committing anarchy.
"That is how the law works," he remarked.
With regard to the demonstrations in Makassar, Kalla, who hails from the city in South Sulawesi, noted that local students were, indeed, dynamic and always protested any policy implemented by the government.
He pointed out that the demonstration, which had led to violence, was a small one, participated by only some 10 to 20 students.
They resorted to vandalism because of the presence of a television crew, Kalla explained, adding that the demonstration stopped soon after the crew left.
"That is Makassars style. Its true that a demonstration was staged, but there were not many protesters and it was not a big incident," he remarked.
Moreover, the vice president affirmed that he had summoned a number of university rectors from Makassar but that it was known that the protests were organized by a group of people and not the universities.
The Rector of Hasanudin University, Dwia Aries Tina Palubuhu, stated that university rectors in Makassar would let law enforcement officials arrest students if they were proven guilty of committing anarchy in the recent demonstrations against fuel price hike.
"We made a commitment with security agencies, including the regional military and police commands, to let them arrest students who resorted to anarchy in the demonstration by blocking roads and burning tires," she assured after a meeting with the vice president on Thursday.
ANTARA NEWS
