Army detains soldier after Dumai attack

Army detains soldier after Dumai attack

Haidir Anwar Tanjung, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru, Riau

The military in Riau pledged on Wednesday to deal firmly with
soldiers who attacked police officers in a brawl in the town of
Dumai leaving two policemen injured.

Maj. Gen. Tri Tamtomo, chief of the Bukit Barisan military
command overseeing security in Riau and North Sumatra, said that
only one suspect, identified as Second Sgt. Zul, had been
detained for questioning in connection with the violence.

"We are trying to find who else was involved in the clash. So
far the investigation is focused on only one soldier," he told
journalists in the Riau capital of Pekanbaru.

Tri said a court martial would try and punish those involved
in the brawl, which occurred early on Tuesday between soldiers
from the Army's 004 Missile Unit in Dumai and local police
officers.

He could not say whether the soldiers involved would be
dishonorably discharged from the Army or demoted.

"I have no right to make a decision on this. It depends on the
evidence. But whoever is found guilty will be punished in
accordance with the law," Tri asserted.

Earlier, 19 soldiers were sentenced to between three months
and 18 months in prison, as well as being dishonorably
discharged, for their roles in simultaneous attacks on police
stations in Binjai, some 30 kilometers north of the North Sumatra
capital of Medan.

The attacks, involving troops from an air defense unit
stationed in Binjai and local police, killed three people in
September 2002.

To prevent acts of revenge and cool down the situation
following Tuesday's clash, Tri held a special meeting with Riau
Police chief Brig. Gen. Deddy Komaruddin in Pekanbaru on
Wednesday.

The meeting discussed joint efforts to restore and maintain
security in Dumai and neighboring areas.

"We have agreed with Pak Deddy to mount joint patrols so as to
ensure the security condition in Dumai improves. The patrols will
last indefinitely," Tri added.

The clash erupted at around 1 a.m. on Tuesday in the Buangan
Sampah red-light district in Bukit Dapur subdistrict, some 200
kilometers from Pekanbaru.

It was sparked by a reported brawl on Monday between hoodlums
and soldiers in the red-light district, some 15 kilometers from
the port town of Dumai.

The clash began after a soldier, who had been questioned by
police about a previous brawl in the red-light district, went
back to his barracks where he incited his comrades to attack the
police.

The attack injured First Insp. Boro Windu, deputy chief of
the Dumai Police criminal investigation bureau, and Second Brig.
Azwin Nugroho, and destroyed two cars.

Deddy said on Wednesday that only Azwin was still being
treated in the hospital in Dumai. He had sustained serious
gunshot wounds in the neck.

"Based on the medical examination, four projectiles lodged in
Azwin's neck. Two of them have so far been removed," he added.

This latest clash would appear to show that the security
forces have failed to learn much from the deadly Binjai incident
of Sept. 28, 2002.