Activists shot in clash with police
JAKARTA (JP): At least five people were shot in a clash with police during a protest by 200 activists from the Democratic People's Party (PRD) outside the headquarters of the General Elections Commission (KPU) on Thursday, reports said.
The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) said at least 24 were hospitalized. The activists were protesting alleged electoral violations by the Golkar Party in the general election.
In a statement made available to The Jakarta Post, Kontras said at least five of the injured sustained bullet wounds. It was unclear whether they were hurt by rubber bullets or live ammunition.
Kontras identified those shot and the nature of their wounds as Elim Pals, 22, shot in the right leg; Budi, no age given, shot in the right side of the chest; Toro Leste, 21, shot in the left side of the ribs; Adrian Budi S., 21, shot in the back, and Dimas Chaerudin, 19, shot in the left leg.
They were admitted to St. Carolus Hospital in Central Jakarta along with 18 others who other sustained various wounds, including from being struck with rifle butts and trampled.
Another man, Pangdi, was admitted to the Metropolitan Medical Center Hospital in South Jakarta. Doctors operated to remove his spleen, the statement said.
It was not known if Pangdi was shot.
Central Jakarta Police chief Col. Iman Haryatna said security personnel were only armed with rubber bullets.
Kontras also said police arrested at least four PRD supporters. They were identified as Fendri Panonban, Wiyono, Subur and Fitra Suadra.
A detective from the Central Jakarta Police confirmed that four activists were "secured" for possessing "weapons".
"We found steel arrows on one of them, and others had barbed wire wrapped in PRD flags," he told the Post.
A preliminary report released by the PRD executive board late Thursday said 30 party activists suffered gunshot wounds.
"Some of them are undergoing treatment at Agung Hospital and Tebet Hospital, both in South Jakarta, while others are in the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital and the St. Carolus Hospital, both in Central Jakarta," the PRD said.
The clash occurred at about 4 p.m. after the activists, who were barred from entering the KPU's parking lot during an hour- long protest, pushed against the police line toward the entrance gate following shouts of "push, push".
Several police officers at the front of the line fell and the police responded by shoving back, with several of the protesters also falling.
The violence erupted when unidentified people threw plastic drinking water bottles at the police. Officers proceeded to shoot into the crowd and others beat the protesters.
It was not clear who began the shooting or if there was an order to take the action.
Officers were observed ignoring orders from Iman Haryatna to halt the battery. A journalist said there was no order to shoot.
Iman acknowledged the activists notified police of the planned protest. Additional security personnel, including soldiers, were deployed in 12 trucks.
A member of the KPU, A.A. Oka Mahendra, said: "The clash would not have happened if they were given the opportunity to submit their petition to the elections commission."
He added that both sides were overly emotional in their reactions.
The activists staged the protest to condemn Golkar's alleged use of money politics in the June 7 elections.
They urged the KPU to disqualify the ruling party from the elections. They also called for an end to the military's dual function.
A protest by students from Gunadarma University in Cimanggis, East Jakarta, on Thursday demanded an end to human rights violations by the military and called for it to keep out of police matters. The protest was held in conjunction with the National Police's 53rd anniversary.(imn/33/byg/emf)