Police reported over violence against press and students<\/p>\n
Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung<\/p>\n
A local newspaper officially reported to police the maltreatment
\nof its photographer by police during a violent demonstration in
\nBandung, West Java, on Thursday, as dozens of fellow journalists
\nmarched to denounce the incident.<\/p>\n
The protesting journalists threatened to boycott the coverage
\nof events concerning Bandung police headquarters until firm
\naction was taken against its personnel involved in attacking
\ndemonstrators and a photojournalist with the Pikiran Rakyat
\ndaily, Dudi Sugandi.<\/p>\n
The violence erupted when hundreds of students from various
\nuniversities in the province clashed with police on Wednesday
\nduring a protest against the rise of utility prices. At least 23
\npeople, including Dudi and a police officer, were injured.<\/p>\n
Police officers beat Dudi and seized his camera, as well as
\nprevented other journalists from covering the violent scuffle.<\/p>\n
Dindin S. Maolani, a lawyer for the newspaper, accused the
\npolice of committing at least two crimes during the clash, which
\nwas sparked when the students attempted to force their way into
\nthe West Java legislature compound after being denied permission
\nto meet senior councillors.<\/p>\n
"They (police) have violated the Criminal Code by maltreating
\nthe demonstrators. They have also obstructed the freedom of
\njournalists to obtain information, a crime that breaches the
\nPress Law," Dindin said.<\/p>\n
He was speaking after accompanying Dudi in presenting his case
\nagainst the police to the Bandung military police office, where
\nthe victim also provided a medical report of his injuries from
\nthe private Borromeus Hospital.<\/p>\n
A similar lawsuit against the police would also be submitted
\nsoon by the Bandung-based Student Executive Board (BEM) over the
\nbeating of its members during Wednesday's clash.<\/p>\n
Andreas Manalu, coordinator of the BEM, said lawyers from the
\nlocal Legal Aid Institute (LBH) had expressed support for the
\nlawsuit.<\/p>\n
The students also demanded the police to compensate for
\ndamaging a truck they had rented for the demonstration.<\/p>\n
Most of the injured students suffered wounds to the head as a
\nresult of police beating them with sticks.<\/p>\n
One of the students from Bandung Islamic University, Affan,
\nhad to undergo minor surgery at Borromeus Hospital for a broken
\nbone.<\/p>\n
"Affan has fainted several times. According to doctors, he was
\nbeaten with a hard tool," said Indra, BEM leader of Padjajaran
\nUniversity.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, around 70 journalists from various print and
\nelectronic media protested at Bandung police headquarters to
\ncondemn the police's repressive and violent measures against them
\nand the student demonstrators.<\/p>\n
"The police are not professional in facing journalists. They
\nlooked fearful that the public might learn about what actually
\nhappened when they violently pushed back the protesting
\nstudents," said Sulhan Syafi'i, a protest leader.<\/p>\n
The journalists demanded that Bandung Police chief Sr. Comr.
\nHendra Sukmana apologize publicly through both the print and
\nelectronic media, and punish his officers harshly over the
\nviolence.<\/p>\n
"The police must also compensate for damages to my video
\ncamera caused by water cannon spray during the clash," said Rudi
\nSetiawan, a local correspondent for the private TPI television
\nstation.<\/p>\n
In response, Hendra refused to apologize and defended the
\npolice officers' actions, saying it was in line with security
\nprocedures.<\/p>\n
"What apology? We have to examine first if it is true that the
\npolice beat students, confiscated a camera and prevented
\nreporters from getting information," he said.<\/p>\n
Nor would the police pay the demanded compensation for the
\ndamaged camera. "TPI is rich. It should repair the camera
\nitself," Hendra added.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, he said the police were ready to face lawsuits
\nfrom the media and students over the incident.<\/p>",
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