Police question protesters over Medan shooting<\/p>\n
MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): Police say they have questioned at
\nleast 17 protesters in connection with a shooting incident on
\nTuesday outside the headquarters of state plantation company PTP
\nNusantara II, in Tanjung Morawa, a town about 20 kilometers south
\nof here.<\/p>\n
North Sumatra Police spokesman Lt. Col. Amrin Karim told
\nreporters on Wednesday that the people questioned included Ramses
\nSimbolon, who is a lecturer from the Saint Thomas Catholic
\nUniversity (Unika), and the chairman of the North Sumatra Reform
\nMovement Alliance.<\/p>\n
The officer did not name the alliance executive but sources
\nidentified him as Buyung.<\/p>\n
According to officer Karim, the two are believed to have led
\nthe protest over a land dispute. He said the protest itself was
\nillegal as the organizers did not notify police beforehand, as
\nrequired by a new law.<\/p>\n
Karim said that the incident, in which security troops fired
\ninto a crowd of protesters injuring 16, started when protesters
\nthrew stones and Molotov cocktails. Two security officers were
\nalso injured, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The 16 wounded protesters consisted of 10 Unika and Nommensen
\nUniversity students, one student from North Sumatra Muhammadiyah
\nUniversity (UMSU), three civilians, and two high school
\nstudents,\" the police spokesman said.<\/p>\n
He said he knew nothing about the type of wounds suffered by
\nthe victims. Sources at Saint Elizabeth Hospital revealed that
\nmost of the 12 victims treated there had bullet wounds in the
\nhips and lower bodies.<\/p>\n
The senior doctor at the hospital, Prof. Menam Ginting, told
\nreporters on Wednesday that one protester, identified as Monang
\nNaibaho, was shot in the back.<\/p>\n
Two of the 12 injured protesters -- students Jinson Purba and
\nJonson Tarigan -- have returned home.<\/p>\n
Ginting identified the 10 still in hospital as Monang Naibaho,
\nElisati Halawa, Tumpal Panjaitan (all university students),
\nOffredy Harefa from the PBHI legal aid institute, Winter Sitorus,
\nKasin, Suwarno, Muliadi, Ponidi, and farmer Sudiman.<\/p>\n
He said he still needed time to determine whether the victims
\nwere shot with real or rubber bullets. However, he said doctors
\nhad found \"metal fragments\" in the victims' bodies.<\/p>\n
Officer Karim said the incident started with a rally organized
\nby a group called Suara Rakyat (Voice of the People) at the
\ngovernor's office here on Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n
They were protesting what they allege to be the illegal
\nappropriation of their land by the state sugar cane and tobacco
\nplantation company.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot reclaim our land through peaceful methods. We have
\nto use violence,\" one of the protesters said.<\/p>\n
\"Their protest was rejected because they had obtained no
\nletter of notification from the police to stage the rally,\" Karim
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The group joined another crowd of about 3,000 students to
\nexpress their grievances over the disputed land at the PTP
\nNusantara II office at Tanjung Morawa.<\/p>\n
The protesters' demands to meet with the president of the
\ncompany were rejected.<\/p>\n
Angry protesters threw stones and Molotov cocktails at the
\ntroops, which included three platoons of mobile brigade
\npersonnel, one unit of anti-riot police and a platoon from the
\n122nd military battalion, Karim said.<\/p>\n
\"The clash broke out at few minutes past 5 p.m. and the first
\nvictims were from the security personnel side,\" the police
\nofficer said.<\/p>\n
\"We do not yet know who -- whether the students or others --
\nthrew the stones and Molotov cocktails at the security
\npersonnel,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Karim's claims were supported by an SCTV report on Tuesday
\nevening, which said protesters first threw rocks at the security
\nforces who then opened fire.<\/p>\n
The private television station in its evening news broadcast
\nshowed the crowd fleeing as shots rang out, with police chasing
\nand rounding up stragglers, some of whom were injured.<\/p>\n
However, protesters challenged Karim's version of events.<\/p>\n
Monang Naibaho, who is still being treated in hospital, said:
\n\"The clash occurred when the students and the people could not
\naccept the (company's) refusal for us to meet with the boss.\"<\/p>\n
A statement made by Nommensen students said: \"The students
\nwere shot like wild chickens.\"<\/p>\n
Karim said that the two wounded officers, First Sgt. Subardi
\nand Second Sgt. Antoni Pasaribu, were \"still lying at the PTP II
\nhospital\".<\/p>\n
\"One of them still cannot open his eyes and his nose is
\nbroken. The other one kept vomiting, after being hit by a stone
\non his head. I think he has concussion,\" he said.<\/p>\n
From Jakarta, PBHI legal aid center chairman Hendardi
\ncondemned the shooting. (40\/39\/bsr)<\/p>",
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