Student senate attacks 'violent' police search<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The student senate of the University of
\nIndonesia's (UI) School of Letters lambasted a violent police
\nsearch of a student residence in Lenteng Agung, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The search on Dec. 28 targeted documents of a banned Islamic
\norganization, Negara Islam Indonesia (NII).<\/p>\n
Students said last week security officials may have suspected
\nthem because several UI students who hailed from Tasikmalaya had
\nvisited the house.<\/p>\n
An anonymous source said the visit took place two days after a
\nriot broke out in Tasikmalaya following police mistreatment of
\nthree religious teachers.<\/p>\n
"A few hours before the house raid security officers had
\narrested a group with NII documents living near the students'
\nhouse," the source said.<\/p>\n
Arief Hafidiyanto, the senate chairman, condemned the search
\nin which students said at least one of them was hit by officers.<\/p>\n
"We deplore the search as a groundless act without considering
\nany presumption of innocence," he said.<\/p>\n
"We demand the oppressive staff be punished and the search
\nprocedure be amended," said Arief, adding that the search had
\nbeen very traumatic for those involved. Another source said the
\nsearch attracted crowds to the house, frightening the students.<\/p>\n
They said they were afraid the raid would leave a bad image of
\nthem in their neighborhood.<\/p>\n
The residence was a house rented by members of the faculty's
\nIslamic student organization not far from the campus.<\/p>\n
Students said the officers did not show any search warrant and
\nabused the students when they demanded it.<\/p>\n
One of the students present at the time of the search said he
\nsaw strangers in black vests "turning our house upside down."<\/p>\n
"I saw my friends sitting hopelessly in the corner," the
\nsource who requested anonymity said.<\/p>\n
He quoted officers who said they had suspected the residents
\nwere NII members because they had similar practices; playing the
\ntambourine loudly, reciting the Koran behind closed doors, and
\nnever wearing shoes inside.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Islamic State concept was first announced by a
\nreligious leader, Maridjan Kartosuwirjo, in West Java in 1949.<\/p>\n
NII grew rapidly in the 1950s when it found supporters in
\nCentral Java, Aceh and South Sulawesi. The movement was then
\ncharged as subversive by the Sukarno government which eventually
\ncrushed it in 1962 after Kartosuwirjo was arrested.<\/p>\n
During the 1950s, Kartosuwirjo's supporters frequently used
\nthe Tasikmalaya area as their hideout.<\/p>\n
The source said he knew the strangers were military personnel
\nfrom their vehicles. "One car had the word 'URC' on it and the
\nother had 'Koramil' on it," he said. URC is the abbreviation of
\nUnit Reaksi Cepat, an emergency police squad and Koramil means
\nMilitary Command Area.<\/p>\n
However the commander of the South Jakarta Military District,
\nLt. Col. Yudo Lelono, said he had never heard of the search and
\ndenied his men had anything to do with the search.<\/p>\n
"We do not have cars with the word 'Koramil' on it. But I will
\nexamine the complaint," said Yudo, promising to give a full
\nstatement today.<\/p>\n
One of the students said after 45 minutes of searching, the
\nmen said they had entered the wrong house and left.<\/p>\n
"One of them told me they mobbed the wrong house. Then they
\njust left," the student said. (36)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/student-senate-attacks-violent-police-search-1447893297",
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