Frustrated troops storm Jakarta Hospital

JAKARTA (JP): The quiet surroundings of Jakarta Hospital on Jl. Sudirman suddenly turned into a war zone on Wednesday midnight when some 50 frustrated military officers ran amok searching for suspected militant students hiding on the premises.

The armed security personnel broke into the hospital's four- story administration building, broke the windows and doors and fired several gas canisters at the basement, leaving stunned patients, night-shift nursers, doctors and other staff of the hospital in terror.

The eight-story patients' building at the back which is also connected to the administration office was left untouched.

The troops were finally able to drag away some 20 students from the hospital compound.

After their departure, the four rooms -- respectively used for the kitchen, administration, central sterilization for surgical equipment and a laundry -- were heavily damaged.

Part of the partition and ceiling in the administration room were torn down. Broken glass, doors and tables were strewn across the floor.

Computers were ripped apart and thrown to the floor. Blood stains were seen on parts of the floor. A number of machines for sterilizing surgical equipment were damaged along with an ambulance.

The hospital management on Thursday estimated the total loss caused by the brutal security personnel at Rp 3 billion (US$422,500).

Three witnesses, a nurse, a staffer and a street boy revealed the nightmare which happened in front of their eyes to reporters on Thursday.

"I saw the soldiers circling the hospital ... I was so scared that they might shoot at the main entrance and endanger lives," senior nurse Dora who was in charge that night recalled.

Knowing that the troops had ruined the basement area of the hospital's administration office, Dora then ordered the other nurses to stay still on their respective wards and floors.

"I then ordered the security guards to seal off every emergency exit stairs by placing tables and sofas in front of them to prevent the troops from moving further," she added.

With a flashlight in her hands, Dora also ordered students who were as usual seeking refuge at the hospital to stay down on the floor and remain quiet.

Another witness Apip Ridwan, head of the secretarial division, said that he stayed in the basement to prevent the troops, the students and several other people who were hiding in the area from further wrecking hospital assets, especially a roomful of gas containers.

"When the hospital security guards and I were trying to push the people out of the hospital, the troops suddenly broke into the basement and shot at least eight tear gas canisters," Apip said.

"I saw the troops beating some of the people and dragging them out of the basement," he added.

The troops, he said, were wearing gas masks.

Arpan, a 14-year-old street child from Ciputat suffered a swollen face because the troops hit him with sticks.

"I was sleeping in the basement when the troops came and caught me. They beat me up and left me on the floor," he claimed.

When asked to comment, Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman told reporters separately that neither the police nor the military could be condemned for the attack.

"That hospital protects people who have been destructive, and it takes care of them. Why blame our police or the Army for what they did," Noegroho said.

"Anyway, for whatever damage was caused, I apologize. I still think that the hospital should not shelter people who are destructive," the officer said.

According to chairman of the Jakarta Hospital Foundation, Royono Murad, the hospital -- due to damage caused during the brutal attack -- might not be able to carry out any medical surgery for two and a half months at least.

" ... and we cannot except inpatients", Rayono said.

However, he decided not to file a law suit against the military.

In response to Noegroho's remarks, Royono said: "We were not hiding anyone here. They were people asking for help and hospitals do have a social function. We cannot send people away,"

The raid at the hospital, which has been giving first aid to injured protesters during clashes with troops during the past few months, immediately sparked anger from different parties.

"The move was against international humanitarian law," cried chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) Bambang Widjoyanto.

"Even in the circumstance of war, the law rules some areas must be protected by both warring parties among others hospitals," he told a press conference.

Andi Panca, a radio journalist, was also attacked during the midnight raid by the military.

"They fired tear gas shots at the room while hitting some journalists and those students with stick batons," he said.

Bambang said the Indonesia Military (TNI) Commander Gen. Wiranto and the National Police chief Gen Roesmanhadi, should be held responsible for the attack. (04/asa/ylt)