Troops blamed for attacking villagers<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra<\/p>\n
A group of suspected soldiers attacked a residential area in
\nDeliserdang regency, North Sumatra, leaving a number of villagers
\ninjured and their houses damaged, local residents and military
\nofficers said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The attack, launched on Tuesday night at Fuji Mulyo village,
\nSunggal subdistrict, was believed to be revenge for the beating
\nof a soldier by several youths.<\/p>\n
Witnesses said the soldiers became angered after failing to
\nfind those who had allegedly beaten their friend in the village.<\/p>\n
Hours later, the victim returned with his colleagues on
\nmotorcycles to attack the villagers, they added.<\/p>\n
\"At the time, the soldiers damaged houses and a youth post,\"
\nsaid Paino, a local resident whose house was among those
\nattacked.<\/p>\n
Paino and other witnesses said at least three houses were
\ndamaged and several people injured during the brutal rampage.<\/p>\n
F. Purba, another witness, said the problem started at around
\n10 p.m. on Tuesday and lasted for less than an hour.<\/p>\n
He said he and his neighbors had immediately notified local
\npolice officers when the incident was going on, but added they
\ntold them to report it to the nearby military police office.<\/p>\n
\"The reason was that the incident involved the military.
\nTherefore, the right institution to deal with the attack was
\nmilitary police officers,\" Purba said, quoting what police had
\ntold him.<\/p>\n
Maj. Dat Malemate Ginting, an acting spokesman for the Medan
\nBukit Barisan military command, confirmed the attack by several
\nsuspected soldiers.<\/p>\n
The attack was motivated by the attack of the Indonesian
\nMilitary (TNI) soldier, he added.<\/p>\n
However, Ginting could not identify the soldiers as an
\ninvestigation was underway.<\/p>\n
\"So far, we don't know who the culprits are and what unit they
\nbelong to. Nor are we certain that the attackers are Army
\nsoldiers because there so many units here,\" he told The Jakarta
\nPost at his office in Medan.<\/p>\n
He said the Medan Military Police Detachment chief, who is
\nresponsible for dealing with such incidents, told him that his
\noffice was searching for at least three soldiers suspected of
\ninvolvement.<\/p>\n
\"The Military Police are tracking down on those responsible
\nfor the incident in Fiji Mulyo,\" Ginting said.<\/p>\n
He said the Bukit Barisan military command, overseeing
\nsecurity in North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Riau, was very much
\nconcerned about the violence.<\/p>\n
If military officers were found guilty of involvement in the
\nattack, they would face stern sanctions, Ginting promised.<\/p>\n
\"We should look at the case in a neutral manner. If the
\nculprits are really soldiers, they will be punished for
\ndisciplinary offenses and their cases will be brought to court.
\nBut if the perpetrators are civilians, legal action should also
\nbe taken against them,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ginting said similar cases occurred many times in several
\nparts of North Sumatra, involving soldiers and thugs.<\/p>\n
One of the cases was a clash in 2002 between troops and a
\ngroup of hoodlums in Padangsidempuan regency, which sparked mass
\nrioting, he added.<\/p>",
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