POLICE TO PUNISH ERRING OFFICERS IN CLASH WITH HMI

Jakarta, March 5 (ANTARA) - National Police Chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri offered an apology to the Association of Islamic Students (HMI) if some of his men had acted out of line, and pledged to impose sanctions on them.

He made the statement here on Friday after a coordination meeting on security, political and legal affairs also attended by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

"If there are officers later proven to be guilty, violating the law, we will act against them. And I offer my apology to HMI if our men are proven to have acted in deviation from the police's policy," he said.

General Bambang Hendarso appealed to all parties not to be provoked or taken advantage of by irresponsible persons.

"On this occasion I appeal to them not to be provoked. Do not allow certain parties to take advantage of the situation. HMI collective board members and I have conducted coordination. And I already explained just now that the police had not used community members to fight HMI members," he said.

General Bambang Hendarso appealed to HMI members to support and help the police in all regions to ease tension.

In the past two days the police and HMI members have clashed in several cities in the country, triggered by an incident in Makassar where some HMI activists vandalized a police station after their headquarters were attacked by some police officers on Wednesday evening.