Activists shot in clash with police<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): At least five people were shot in a clash with
\npolice during a protest by 200 activists from the Democratic
\nPeople's Party (PRD) outside the headquarters of the General
\nElections Commission (KPU) on Thursday, reports said.<\/p>\n
The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence
\n(Kontras) said at least 24 were hospitalized. The activists were
\nprotesting alleged electoral violations by the Golkar Party in
\nthe general election.<\/p>\n
In a statement made available to The Jakarta Post, Kontras
\nsaid at least five of the injured sustained bullet wounds. It was
\nunclear whether they were hurt by rubber bullets or live
\nammunition.<\/p>\n
Kontras identified those shot and the nature of their wounds
\nas Elim Pals, 22, shot in the right leg; Budi, no age given, shot
\nin the right side of the chest; Toro Leste, 21, shot in the left
\nside of the ribs; Adrian Budi S., 21, shot in the back, and Dimas
\nChaerudin, 19, shot in the left leg.<\/p>\n
They were admitted to St. Carolus Hospital in Central Jakarta
\nalong with 18 others who other sustained various wounds,
\nincluding from being struck with rifle butts and trampled.<\/p>\n
Another man, Pangdi, was admitted to the Metropolitan Medical
\nCenter Hospital in South Jakarta. Doctors operated to remove his
\nspleen, the statement said.<\/p>\n
It was not known if Pangdi was shot.<\/p>\n
Central Jakarta Police chief Col. Iman Haryatna said security
\npersonnel were only armed with rubber bullets.<\/p>\n
Kontras also said police arrested at least four PRD
\nsupporters. They were identified as Fendri Panonban, Wiyono,
\nSubur and Fitra Suadra.<\/p>\n
A detective from the Central Jakarta Police confirmed that
\nfour activists were \"secured\" for possessing \"weapons\".<\/p>\n
\"We found steel arrows on one of them, and others had barbed
\nwire wrapped in PRD flags,\" he told the Post.<\/p>\n
A preliminary report released by the PRD executive board late
\nThursday said 30 party activists suffered gunshot wounds.<\/p>\n
\"Some of them are undergoing treatment at Agung Hospital and
\nTebet Hospital, both in South Jakarta, while others are in the
\nCipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital and the St. Carolus Hospital,
\nboth in Central Jakarta,\" the PRD said.<\/p>\n
The clash occurred at about 4 p.m. after the activists, who
\nwere barred from entering the KPU's parking lot during an hour-
\nlong protest, pushed against the police line toward the entrance
\ngate following shouts of \"push, push\".<\/p>\n
Several police officers at the front of the line fell and the
\npolice responded by shoving back, with several of the protesters
\nalso falling.<\/p>\n
The violence erupted when unidentified people threw plastic
\ndrinking water bottles at the police. Officers proceeded to shoot
\ninto the crowd and others beat the protesters.<\/p>\n
It was not clear who began the shooting or if there was an
\norder to take the action.<\/p>\n
Officers were observed ignoring orders from Iman Haryatna to
\nhalt the battery. A journalist said there was no order to shoot.<\/p>\n
Iman acknowledged the activists notified police of the planned
\nprotest. Additional security personnel, including soldiers, were
\ndeployed in 12 trucks.<\/p>\n
A member of the KPU, A.A. Oka Mahendra, said: \"The clash would
\nnot have happened if they were given the opportunity to submit
\ntheir petition to the elections commission.\"<\/p>\n
He added that both sides were overly emotional in their
\nreactions.<\/p>\n
The activists staged the protest to condemn Golkar's alleged
\nuse of money politics in the June 7 elections.<\/p>\n
They urged the KPU to disqualify the ruling party from the
\nelections. They also called for an end to the military's dual
\nfunction.<\/p>\n
A protest by students from Gunadarma University in Cimanggis,
\nEast Jakarta, on Thursday demanded an end to human rights
\nviolations by the military and called for it to keep out of
\npolice matters. The protest was held in conjunction with the
\nNational Police's 53rd anniversary.(imn\/33\/byg\/emf)<\/p>",
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