Luwuk tense after police brutality protest

Erick W., The Jakarta Post, Palu

The situation in Luwuk, Banggai, Central Sulawesi remained tense on Monday as thousands of people marched through the small town to protest against the assault by local police of four officers from the local administration on Sunday.

The protesters, including employees of the local administration, ransacked the Luwuk Police Subprecinct building and several other police buildings. Most shops were closed due to fears of fresh rioting following the incident.

"The angry mob, which included people from numerous villages, ransacked the police subprecinct building and several other police buildings and barricaded a shopping center to prevent shops from opening," Antara news agency quoted Syahrul, an eyewitness, as saying.

He confirmed that the rally was designed as a protest against the police's brutal treatment of four officers who were on duty at the Banggai regent's office on Sunday night.

The four, identified as Novi Irawan, 26, Randi, 23, Rajab, 22, and Sammi, 23, were rushed to the Luwuk General Hospital. The seriously injured Irawan remains in a critical condition.

Nurdin Abdul Rahim, chief of the national unity and people's protection division at the regent's office, said the incident had occurred after the four victims traded insults with police officers who were on duty at a police subprecinct located adjacent to the regent's office.

"The police hurled insults as my men were passing the police office but they retaliated by swearing back at the police. Minutes later, some 20 police came to my men's office and beat them up. One of the policemen stabbed Irawan with a knife," he said.

Nurdin said that after a flag-raising ceremony at the regent's office, dozens of employees marched to the police precinct to protest against the police's brutality and hundreds of residents joined the rally.

"Two police offices were badly injured by the angry mob," he said.

Luwuk Subdistrict Chief Dahlan Assegaf said the situation was returning to normal after hundreds of security personnel from the local military office were deployed to control the rally.

Adj. Sr. Comr. Sismantoro, chief of the Banggai Police Precinct, Lt. Col. Agus Suchiarso, chief of the local military district and Banggai Deputy Regent Ma'mun Amir were holding a coordination meeting to discuss the incident when they were contacted on Monday.