Activists demand Rp 4b in damages from police

Activists demand Rp 4b in damages from police

JAKARTA (JP): Four activists from the Agrarian Reform
Consortium (KPA) have demanded Rp 4 billion in compensation from
the Jakarta Police, claiming they had suffered from wrongful
arrest and ill-treatment during a hunger strike in August.

The four, whose mysterious, brief disappearance led to the
current complaint, have filed a pretrial motion with the South
Jakarta District Court over police actions when they were
protesting during a meeting of the People's Consultative Assembly
(MPR) on Aug. 14.

The four -- Usep Setiawan, Anton Sulton, Idham Kurniawan and
Mohamad Hafiz Azdam -- did not attend the hearing. They were
represented by lawyers Johnson Panjaitan and Ecoline Situmorang.

The lawyers said in the Friday's hearing that the four were
conducting a lawful protest when police forcibly removed them
from the building.

The activists were calling for attention of the MPR and the
public to various land conflicts.

Following arrest by the police they were missing for almost
two weeks. When they reappeared they claimed they had been
abducted, but they refused to cooperate with the police in
investigating their claims.

The lawyers said as a result of the arrest and ill-treatment,
their clients suffered material and punitive damages amounting to
Rp 4 billion. They demanded the police restore their reputations
through television, radio, newspaper and Internet advisories.

The Jakarta Police -- represented by lawyers Sr.Insp. Barnabas
Imam Setyono, Sr.Insp. Lily Moelyanti and First Insp. Ahsanul
Muqaffi -- rejected all accusations.

"Officers evacuated the activists with their consent,"
Barnabas said.

He also said the four activists did not have a permit to stage
their protest as required under a 1998 law.

Judge Muchtar Ritonga adjourned the hearing until Monday. (01)