Medan police probe reports of officer brutality

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra

Police in Medan launched an investigation into reports of police violence against people protesting against pulp company PT Toba Pulp Lestari (TPL) in the Porsea area of North Sumatra.

North Tapanuli Regency Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Burhanuddin said on Friday that three officers from the provincial capital of Medan had arrived on Monday.

"Over the last four days, Medan police have been making various efforts to crosscheck reports from the public about acts of violence against them," Burhanuddin told The Jakarta Post.

The investigation followed the allegations by leaders from 47 villages about police brutality against their residents. Burhanuddin said the team was attempting to verify the allegations.

He could not say how long the investigation would take, but said that the officers would report the results to National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar.

The results, Burhanuddin added, could help the police find a solution to the conflict surrounding TPL's pulp operations.

TPL, formerly known as PT Inti Indorayon Utama, is a unit of the Radja Garuda Mas (RGM) Group. Its operations have been bedeviled by conflict for years.

Locals complain about the decreasing water level of Lake Toba, water and air pollution, and the uncontrolled felling of trees as raw material for the pulp mill.

Anti-TPL protests have often been marred by violence, with a number of people reportedly killed during clashes with security personnel.

Responding to the intense protests, the government froze TPL's pulp and paper operation in 1999. But in November last year, the government allowed TPL to reopen its pulp mill after the latter agreed to comply with environmental regulations and improve the welfare of the surrounding communities through community development programs, among other things.

TPL's reopening, however, sparked a new round of violent protests. In November, police arrested 16 people, including two church ministers, for ransacking the Porsea district chief's office during an anti-TPL rally.

Responding to demands that the police be pulled out of the Porsea area, Burhanuddin said such a move would be unacceptable.

Mangaliat Simarmata, who coordinates anti-TPL protests among the Porsea people, said he hoped the investigation would confirm the reports of violence.

"Too many people have been traumatized by the violence of security officers in Porsea. It's only reasonable for us to wish to see them being punished," said Mangaliat, who is also the executive director of the Legal Aid Institute for North Sumatra People (Bakumsu).