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Jakarta.  A student on Thursday reported police officers to the National Commission on Human Rights for a hit-and-run that happened at a street protest more than two years ago.

“I reported the case to Komnas HAM because I want it to be thoroughly investigated,” said Apriyanto, a student at the State Islamic Institute of Jambi.

“I want the guilty police officers to be fired.”

The incident occurred on June 24, 2008, during a student protest against government-backed fuel price hikes, in front of the House of Representatives in Senayan.

The incident has garnered renewed prominence after the release this week of a video showing Apriyanto being struck by the police car before being launched spectacularly through the air as the car speeds off.

The video was posted on the Internet through micro blogging site Twitter.

“I was getting ready to leave when the police car suddenly hit me,” Apriyanto said.

“I was thrown three to four meters. I remember being thrown to the pavement, but after that I don’t remember anything.”

He said he was hospitalized at the Indonesian Christian University Hospital in East Jakarta, suffering from a bruised neck and a knee injury.

“I had injuries to my knee, neck, and bruises on my body,” Apriyanto said, adding that he was treated for three days, while his friends paid his medical bills.

“I’m here today to demand that whoever did this to me be punished, and I demand compensation as well.”

He acknowledged that the Jakarta Police, through spokesman Boy Rafli Amar, had apologized for the incident.

“It means that the police admit that it happened,” he said.

According to Boy, the patrol car was driven by West Jakarta Police officer Sahut Sihombing, who claimed that Apriyanto was carrying a firebomb.

“The protesters were carrying Molotov cocktails,” he said, adding that Apriyanto was not thrown all that far.

“He was only slightly bruised by the car.”

Apriyanto denied that he was carrying any kind of weapon.

“I wasn’t carrying anything. The street was empty at the time because the crowd had already dispersed, and traffic was running smoothly,” he said after filing his complaint.

National Police spokesman Marwoto Soeto said he doubted the video was uploaded for political purposes.

“I don’t think so,” he said.

“Nobody hates the police. The police are humanitarians now.”