Activists shot in clash with police

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)