A bloody anniversary

Anniversaries normally being happy occasions calling for celebration, it is deplorable that a lack of restraint turned the 53rd anniversary of the Indonesian National Police last week into a spree of violence. According to media reports, at least 37 demonstrators were injured after being shot by rubber bullets, kicked and beaten with sticks and rifle butts during a clash with police. Nine protesters were seriously wounded with bullet wounds. Police figures released after the incident put the number of injured even higher: 52 protesters and 28 police officers.

The clash occurred on Thursday last week, when some 500 protesters from the Democratic People's Party (PRD) were prevented by a cordon of riot police from reaching the office of the General Elections Commission (KPU) in Central Jakarta. The objective of the protest was to demand the disqualification from the elections of the long-ruling Golkar Party, which protesters -- and a number of independent poll watchdogs, for that matter -- accused of manipulating the June 7 general election in several regions across the country.

As police and defense ministry spokesmen describe the clash, "in accordance to prescribed procedures", the officers were compelled to use force because the protesters attempted to break through the security cordon and force their way into the KPU's office.

"In those offices all the data from the general election is stored. The security officers had no choice but to take tough action," Minister of Security and Defense/Indonesian Military Commander Gen. Wiranto informed a House of Representatives commission seeking clarification of the incident. He said the protesters had armed themselves with homemade weapons, including flagpoles topped with nails, hydrochloric acid and arrows, "which indicates that they had prepared themselves to resist (the security officers)".

Security authorities also said the protest was illegal because police had only been give one-day advance notice of the rally. The law requires rally organizers give police a minimum of three days advance notice.

One could argue the relevance of such a legalistic point under the currently prevailing circumstances. In light of the devastating unrest which has rocked the country in recent months, the authorities could have a point in arguing that they need three days to take necessary precautions to prevent demonstrations from degenerating into chaos.

Youth, labor and student activists, on the other hand, could be correct in asserting current crisis conditions call for immediate action. They could state, furthermore, that in today's Indonesia, protesters have a right, if not a duty, to bring to the public's attention situations and actions which could be detrimental to the process of democratization.

Whatever the case may be, such arguments fail to address the concern millions of Indonesian citizens have toward the National Police. No one disputes the police's right -- or indeed, their duty -- to maintain public order. Nor do responsible Indonesians approve of violent protests which could lead to wide-scale acts of destruction. However, the police's habit of resorting to excessive force to control nonviolent protests and demonstrations troubles the minds and consciences of most Indonesians.

Aceh, East Timor, the Trisakti shootings, the Semanggi tragedy and a number of other bloody incidents from the recent and not-so-recent past should have taught us that brute force breeds violence, rather than solving problems. This is a lesson which the National Police in particular should have learned. The police's recent separation from the military was supposed to have restored it to its original role as the arm of protection under which all citizens could seek safety.

We realize reeducating our police force to fill this role may take some time, but this matter is one of urgency. The public's trust in the police must be restored without delay. Bhayangkara Day, which is the anniversary of the establishment of the National Police, provides the perfect occasion to take a tangible first step in that direction.