Students to report police action to military<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Two students from the Indonesian Christian
\nUniversity (UKI) plan to report city police officers to the
\nJakarta Military Command for wrongfully arresting them, the
\nstudents' lawyer said on Monday.<\/p>\n
Hotma Timbul Hutapea, a member of the Student Advocating Team,
\nsaid the students -- Rudi Pahala Simatupang and Hendi Karo-karo
\n-- were wrongfully arrested on Dec. 8.<\/p>\n
\"They were also mistreated while in detention at the city
\npolice headquarters and we intend to report the matter to the
\nmilitary police,\" Hotma said.<\/p>\n
He said Hendi and his brother, Edward Karo-karo, were arrested
\nat their home on Jl. Sutoyo in Cawang, East Jakarta, while Rudi
\nwas detained at his home on Jl. Sadar in Ciganjur, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Hotma said the police released Hendi, a UKI law student, on
\nDec. 9, but continued to hold Rudi and Edward for allegedly
\nkidnapping a police intelligence officer identified as Supratman
\non Nov. 27.<\/p>\n
Rudi and Edward then filed lawsuits at South Jakarta District
\nCourt seeking compensation of over Rp 1 billion (US$110,000) for
\ntheir suffering during the incident.<\/p>\n
In a trial on Jan. 18, the court ruled in favor of Rudi, who
\nwas released on the same day. However Edward's case was thrown
\nout on Jan. 21.<\/p>\n
Fifty students grouped in the City Forum (Forkot) protested
\nagainst the judge's decision during a demonstration staged
\noutside the city police headquarters.<\/p>\n
Late last year, Suratman's wife, Dwi Rusianah, and Dewi, the
\nwife of a police officer assaulted by demonstrators in Pasar Baru
\non Dec. 10, submitted complaints to the Commission for Missing
\nPersons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) on behalf of their
\nhusbands.<\/p>\n
On Monday, the women returned to the commission to find out if
\ntheir complaint had been acted on and were told by Bambang
\nWidjojanto that the matter had been reported to the police.<\/p>\n
The Kontras adviser also told them the commission would be
\nunable to represent the officers because it was already
\nrepresenting the students in the case.<\/p>\n
\"It would be a conflict of interest if we represented the
\nofficers,\" Bambang pointed out.<\/p>\n
The two women appeared disappointed by the commission's
\nresponse.<\/p>\n
Soldier<\/p>\n
Separately on Monday, the Jakarta Police summoned a soldier
\nwho was allegedly assaulted by demonstrators in East Jakarta last
\nmonth.<\/p>\n
City police spokesman Lt. Col. Edward Aritonang confirmed that
\nFirst Soldier Djumbadi had been summoned to give his account of
\nthe incident.<\/p>\n
\"He was summoned to give his testimony as the key witness in
\nthe incident,\" Aritonang said, referring to the incident which
\ntook place on Dec. 18.<\/p>\n
After the questioning, Djumbadi, who is attached to the Army's
\ncavalry unit, told reporters that a gang of people forced him out
\nof a public bus when it stopped in front of the UKI Hospital
\nbefore dawn on Dec. 18.<\/p>\n
\"I was wearing my combat troop uniform, so they recognized me
\nand forced me out of the bus. I was then dragged into the
\nhospital yard, where dozens more people were waiting,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Djumbadi said his attackers were UKI students, although when
\npressed he admitted that none had worn UKI's light blue jacket.<\/p>\n
Djumbadi, who hails from Gunung Kidul in Yogyakarta, said that
\nhe was stripped of his possessions after the beating was over.<\/p>\n
He said his assailants made off with his combat shirt,
\nbayonet, a magazine containing 23 rubber bullets, his hat and his
\nboots.<\/p>\n
He also lost his wallet, Rp 400.000 and all his identification
\ncards.<\/p>\n
\"The students stripped me off and beat me on my neck,\" he
\nadded. (jun\/emf)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/students-to-report-police-action-to-military-1447893297",
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