Killing strains ties between police, military in Makassar

Killing strains ties between police, military in Makassar

Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Makassar

Another police officer was killed in the city on Monday,
further straining ties between the Provincial Police headquarters
and the Military Command headquarters.

Second Brig. Charles of the provincial police headquarters was
allegedly stabbed to death by First Private Darwis, a member of
the combat unit of the military headquarters, in Losari coastal
area on Monday night.

According to witnesses, the incident occurred when the victim
tried to reprimand Darwis, who was scolding a parking attendant
at the scene. Darwis, who was riding a motorcycle with two of his
colleagues, took offense at the victim's approach. The two then
became involved in a fight.

"The victim put up strong resistance but his feet slipped and
he lost his balance, giving a chance for Darwis to stab him with
his dagger several times," said a witness who asked for
anonymity.

After learning of Charles's death, Darwis ran away and jumped
into the sea to escape a number of police officers who arrived on
the scene a few minutes later, he said.

Another witness said locals visiting the coastal area saw an
interesting spectacle as police jumped into the sea to apprehend
the suspect. Some bystanders punched the suspect. After being
badly beaten, the suspect was brought to the Municipal Police
office for an intensive investigation.

Charles's death followed that of 2nd. Brig. Haris, who was
allegedly killed by a soldier of the military headquarters last
month.

Tension in the city mounted when eight officers of the
military command's Military Police arrived at the Municipal
Police office and ordered dozens of police officers then on duty
to hand over the suspect. The Military Police officers left
empty-handed.

Dozens of police personnel remain on high alert in the
Municipal Police following spreading rumors that dozens of
servicemen from the combat unit were prepared to take revenge for
the eviction of Military Police officers from the police office.

Comr. Idris Kadir, head of the detective unit of the Municipal
Police, said that police would continue monitoring the situation
to avoid any unwanted incident that might result from the police
officer's death and the eviction of the Military Police officers.

"The police are still conducting a preliminary investigation
into the case before the suspect is handed over to the Military
Police for further investigation. The Military Police should not
misunderstand the police's refusal to hand over the suspect,
which is an attempt to avoid a wider conflict between local
police and the military," he said.

He hoped the incident would not further damage the strained
ties between the police and the local military and said it should
be solved peacefully.

He said that the police were deeply concerned with the
incident because two police officers had been killed in less than
30 days.

Ties between the police and military have been deteriorating
following two fatal incidents between the two sides over the last
two months. On Sept. 16, 2001, three civilians were killed and
many others were injured in a gunfight between the Army Strategic
Reserved Command's members and police personnel in the East Java
town of Madiun. Previously, on Aug. 27, 2001, two infantrymen
were killed and two police staff were injured in a similar clash
in the Irian Jaya town of Serui.