Komnas HAM probes shooting tragedy

Komnas HAM probes shooting tragedy

Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi

The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has launched
an investigation into an incident in which police shot and killed
up to five protesters in Bulukumba regency, South Sulawesi, on
July 21.

Police put the death toll at two but non-governmental
organizations put the figure at five.

Dozens of others were injured after police fired on more than
1,000 villagers who were rioting in protest against the alleged
occupation of their land by rubber plantation company PT London
Sumatra (Lonsum).

The unrest flared up at Bonto Mangiring village in Bulukumba,
some 210 kilometers from the provincial capital of Makassar.

A Komnas HAM team headed by Hasballah M. Saad left Makassar
for Bulukumba on Thursday morning to gather first-hand
information from the scene.

"Our purpose here is to collect and cross check data on the
case. We will work optimally," said M.M. Billah, a member of the
team.

He did not say whether there was any possibility of serious
human rights abuses in the incident.

On Wednesday, Hasballah, Billah and the third team member,
Yuwaldi, held separate meetings with South Sulawesi Governor Amin
Syam and South Sulawesi Police chief Insp. Gen. Jusuf
Manggabarani as part of the investigation.

During the meetings, dozens of students staged a protest in
Makassar to urge Komnas HAM to solve the case.

Billah said his team had received reports that contained
contradicting data on the death toll.

The report from police claimed only two persons were killed at
the scene.

However, the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi) and
the Institute of Development and Human Resources Studies
(Lakpesdam), affiliated to Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), said the death
toll had risen to five.

Three of the victims were identified as Rajo, who bled to
death, Sangkala who was killed at the scene, and Sampe who died
after surviving for several days in a jungle nearby, said
Lakpesdam and Walhi, which had both investigated the violence at
the scene.

Jusuf said police were holding at least 26 people at the
Bulukumba police office. The detainees included two non-
governmental organization activists -- Andi
Mappasomba and Andi Adi Mappasulle -- who were charged with
inciting the riot.

Police are still searching for several activists and villagers
who fled after the violence, Jusuf added.

Shortly after the incident, he defended his men who opened
fire on the rioters as they had refused to end the violent
protest, even though warning shots had been fired to disperse
them.

The unrest started when people from Bonto Mangiring and
neighboring villages rampaged through a plantation belonging to
PT London Sumatra, cutting down rubber trees and attacking a
housing complex.

The villagers, carrying saws, also occupied a company office.

The protesters accused the company of occupying their
traditional land in Bonto Mangiring in 1967, which led to the
eviction of many villagers there.