Councillor assaulted over school policy

Councillor assaulted over school policy

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali

Dozens of people, dressed in black T-shirts emblazoned with the
name of their group, the Forum Peduli Denpasar (FPD), on Friday
assaulted an outspoken member of the Denpasar legislature.

Teruna Jaya of the National Mandate Party (PAN) was caught up
in a melee with FPD before the group later stormed the local
party office and inflicted some more damage.

The assault took place at around 11:10 a.m. local time in the
front of the legislature building on Jl. Melati.

According to Teruna Jaya, the incident took place after he
tried to arrange for 10 people to enter the building to air their
complaints with the legislature's speaker over the "unfairness"
of the recent public school admittance process.

But they were blocked by the FPD members, who were holding a
vigil nearby apparently in favor of the new policy.

Teruna Jaya tried repeatedly to gain entry for the 10 people,
including by contacting the speaker Ketut Sukita. Although Sukita
gave his permission, the FPD members refused to let them in.

"Suddenly they (FPD members) all stood up, sprinkled me with
mineral water before starting to assault me; struck me with their
fists and helmets and kicked me," Teruna told.

The Denpasar police chief Adj. Comr. Helmy Santika, who was on
the scene, immediately threw himself between Teruna Jaya and the
FPD folk, trying to use his own body as a shield to protect the
council member from a further beating. He then escorted Teruna
Jaya into a room in the adjacent building.

"However, the FPD members chased me down into the room and
began assaulting me again. I was later evacuated in a police
squad car to the Denpasar police station," Teruna said.

Teruna sustained bumps and bruises all over his head and face
as a result of the assault.

"That was a brutal action. However, it will not stop me from
defending the public interest," he said.

Known for his no-compromise, outspoken attitude, Teruna was a
staunch supporter of the recent waves of protests staged by
hundreds of parents, who had been disappointed by the new student
admittance process.

Teruna has claimed the policy is marred with irregularities,
and had caused many qualified students to lose their chance to
get into public school.

Teruna's stance had antagonized the head of the local
education agency and the Denpasar Mayor, AA Puspayoga, who had
admitted that the process was flawed but refused to reverse the
results.

FPD, which was established to help keep Denpasar a safe and
orderly city, is known to be a staunch supporter of Puspayoga.

A few minutes after assaulting Teruna, the FPD members dashed
to the Denpasar branch office of the National Mandate Party (PAN)
in the Ubung area. They ransacked the office, broke the windows,
damaged the furniture and pulled down the party's wooden placard.

"I heard some commotion and saw several people with black FPD
shirts in the area," the owner of the building, I Made Sudiarsa
claimed.

Bali police spokeswoman Sr. Comr. Rosalia Pengasihan Gaut
stated that the police were conducting and intensive
investigation over the incident.

"We do not meddle in political affairs. However, the incident
involved assault and battery and vandalism, so we consider those
things to be legal violations. These (violations) are punishable
by law," she asserted.

Separately, Bali Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Herman
Hidayat, who had personally met with and received Teruna's
complaint, ordered his men to immediately apprehend the
perpetrators.