Ambon MP probe shooting incidents

AMBON, Maluku: Military police investigators from the 16th Pattimura Regional Military Command have questioned seven security officers and four civilians in connection with last Saturday's shooting in the Mardika and Batu Gajah area in which seven people were killed and 18 others injured.

"In general, they're not really witnesses as they could be named as suspects," the military police chief Maj. Djuhendi S. told reporters on Friday.

According to Djuhendi, the seven servicemen came from two units and were believed to have shot into the crowd without legitimate reason.

The authorities fired shots at a crowd of locals on a street in Mardika. The crowd was waiting to be given a torch in a parade commemorating local independence hero Pattimura. Shots were also fired in the Batu Gajah area at a group demanding the security authority investigate the death of Frangky Pitris, a junior high school student, Antara reported.

The latter group was carrying Pitris' body to the military command's headquarters to show it to the visiting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Soebagyo HS, the agency said.

Djuhendi said the shootings by the security personnel on Saturday violated procedures.

"There was no shooting order at that time. That's why the military police are now probing the case," he said.

"They've violated the shooting procedures because there had been no principal threats to fire their guns. Should there be a threat, the officers have to use rubber or blank bullets. The latest option is to use live bullets which are aimed at the thighs or other lower body parts," Djuhendi said.

The only problem faced by the investigators, he said, was the difficulty collecting the projectiles. Only two of the seven families of victims allowed the bodies to be examined by the forensics experts.