11 injured as police fire on protesters: Reports
11 injured as police fire on protesters: Reports
JAKARTA (JP): Police in the North Sumatra capital of Medan
shot into a crowd of about 5,000 students and workers during a
protest over a land dispute on Tuesday, wounding at least 11,
local hospital sources said.
Speaking to The Jakarta Post by telephone from Medan, nurses
at Nur Shadah Hospital and Elizabeth Hospital said that most of
the injured suffered gunshot wounds.
They said they were told more were injured but others were
hastily treated at home.
Nurse Risanti of the police-owned Polda Sumut Hospital
revealed that "a number" of members of the elite mobile brigade
police were also injured in the clash.
"We've been ordered to send a doctor and three nurses to treat
the wounded officers at police headquarters," she told the Post.
Reports said the mobile brigade police opened fire when the
protesters converged outside the headquarters of state-run
plantation company PTP Nusantara II in Tanjung Morawa, about 30
kilometers south of Medan, to voice grievances over the land
dispute.
Protesters earlier gathered outside the North Sumatra
governor's office to protest what they claimed was illegal
appropriation of their land by the state sugar cane and tobacco
plantation company.
"We cannot reclaim our land through a peaceful way. We have to
use violence ...," one of the protesters was quoted by Reuters as
saying.
Protesters headed to Tanjung Morawa in the afternoon, vowing
they would retake the land by force.
The private SCTV television station in its evening news
broadcast showed the crowd fleeing as shots rang out, with police
chasing and rounding up stragglers, some of whom were injured.
The TV report said the police were pelted with rocks by the
protesters, which prompted officers to open fire.
"We gave emergency first aid to the 11 victims shortly after
the incident," said nurse Asnia of Nur Shadah, located about
three kilometers from the scene.
Due to the shortage of facilities at the hospital, all of the
victims were transferred to Elizabeth Hospital, she added.
"I don't know which ones are students and which ones are
workers, but most of them suffered gunshot wounds," Asnia said.
A nurse, who asked not to be named, confirmed the arrival of
the 11 victims transferred from Nur Shadah, but added her
hospital also received several others victims, including ones
with gunshot injuries.
"We're currently treating all of them. Those with gunshot
wounds have been hastily rushed into surgery." She could not give
a precise count but said "there's more than 11".
North Sumatra Police could not be reached for comment.
(01/bsr)