Military involved in 'provoking' student protesters
Military involved in 'provoking' student protesters
JAKARTA (JP): The independent Commission for Missing Persons
and Victims of Violence (Kontras) asserted on Wednesday that the
military was involved in provoking student protesters, leading to
at least seven deaths on Friday at the Semanggi cloverleaf.
Plainclothes and uniformed military personnel were "directly
and indirectly involved", Kontras coordinator Munir said.
Munir told a media conference that witnesses, including a
number of unemployed people and Armed Forces personnel, have
admitted that they had been assigned to incite unrest during the
student protests.
"Based on our investigation and the confession of the
witnesses... we found that a number of hoodlums were recruited
and paid between Rp 15,000 to Rp 35,000 on Nov. 13, and about 20
of these people were deployed at Atmajaya University," Munir
said, adding that those people were equipped with fake school
jackets and student identifications.
On Monday, Minister of Education and Culture Juwono Sudarsono
alleged that "radical groups" among the students provoked the
violence on Friday at Semanggi.
Munir displayed a fake university jacket and badge of the
private Veteran University, worn by an alleged provocateur who
was apprehended by students and the public.
"They were recruited from the streets by plainclothes
personnel and paid to participate in the student protests, and
they were also told to yell... and they were seen in the
frontline of the student protests.
"This jacket was worn by a man who threw stones at the
security forces... and after being investigated, we found that
he was not a student," Munir said.
He added that Kontras had treated a wounded plainclothes
military officer who happened to be in the frontline of the
student protest during the clash.
"We found his identification that indicates that he is from a
military unit," Munir said, adding that he would reveal further
details of the alleged military involvement, including the ranks
of the alleged provocateurs, in the near future.
Munir also dismissed Minister of Defense and Security/ABRI
Chief Gen. Wiranto's earlier statement that the security forces
were only using rubber bullets in the incident.
"We found shells of live bullets at Atmajaya University and
Moestopo University, and the use of live bullets has been
confirmed by the forensic team from Ciptomangunkusumo Hospital
(RSCM) which has been conducting autopsies on the victims," Munir
said.
The universities were among those where students were
concentrated during the protests against the Special Session of
the People's Consultative Assembly from Nov. 10 through Nov. 13.
Munir added that there were also reports of intimidation
against a number of victims who were still being treated at RSCM
and St. Carolus Hospital in Central Jakarta.
Earlier on Wednesday, dozens of students from the Student
Action Front for Reform and Democracy demanded that the National
Commission on Human Rights conduct a thorough investigation of
the incident.
"We do not want this case to be forgotten, just like the fatal
shooting of four Trisakti University students," said student
leader Syafik, referring to the unsettled case of May 12.
Rights commission member Asmara Nababan said that the
government should be held responsible for the incident.
"The pretext of safeguarding the Special Session is not
acceptable to justify the shooting of the students," Asmara said.
Separately, the Alumni Association of the University of
Indonesia (ILUNI) denied the government's accusation that it has
been organizing and financing student movements.
Association official Indradjid Subardjo said that the
organization only provided logistics and medical supplies. ILUNI
chairman Hariadi Darmawan was among those questioned by police
for treason. (byg)
JAKARTA (JP): The independent Commission for Missing Persons
and Victims of Violence (Kontras) asserted on Wednesday that the
military was involved in provoking student protesters, leading to
at least seven deaths on Friday at the Semanggi cloverleaf.
Plainclothes and uniformed military personnel were "directly
and indirectly involved", Kontras coordinator Munir said.
Munir told a media conference that witnesses, including a
number of unemployed people and Armed Forces personnel, have
admitted that they had been assigned to incite unrest during the
student protests.
"Based on our investigation and the confession of the
witnesses... we found that a number of hoodlums were recruited
and paid between Rp 15,000 to Rp 35,000 on Nov. 13, and about 20
of these people were deployed at Atmajaya University," Munir
said, adding that those people were equipped with fake school
jackets and student identifications.
On Monday, Minister of Education and Culture Juwono Sudarsono
alleged that "radical groups" among the students provoked the
violence on Friday at Semanggi.
Munir displayed a fake university jacket and badge of the
private Veteran University, worn by an alleged provocateur who
was apprehended by students and the public.
"They were recruited from the streets by plainclothes
personnel and paid to participate in the student protests, and
they were also told to yell... and they were seen in the
frontline of the student protests.
"This jacket was worn by a man who threw stones at the
security forces... and after being investigated, we found that
he was not a student," Munir said.
He added that Kontras had treated a wounded plainclothes
military officer who happened to be in the frontline of the
student protest during the clash.
"We found his identification that indicates that he is from a
military unit," Munir said, adding that he would reveal further
details of the alleged military involvement, including the ranks
of the alleged provocateurs, in the near future.
Munir also dismissed Minister of Defense and Security/ABRI
Chief Gen. Wiranto's earlier statement that the security forces
were only using rubber bullets in the incident.
"We found shells of live bullets at Atmajaya University and
Moestopo University, and the use of live bullets has been
confirmed by the forensic team from Ciptomangunkusumo Hospital
(RSCM) which has been conducting autopsies on the victims," Munir
said.
The universities were among those where students were
concentrated during the protests against the Special Session of
the People's Consultative Assembly from Nov. 10 through Nov. 13.
Munir added that there were also reports of intimidation
against a number of victims who were still being treated at RSCM
and St. Carolus Hospital in Central Jakarta.
Earlier on Wednesday, dozens of students from the Student
Action Front for Reform and Democracy demanded that the National
Commission on Human Rights conduct a thorough investigation of
the incident.
"We do not want this case to be forgotten, just like the fatal
shooting of four Trisakti University students," said student
leader Syafik, referring to the unsettled case of May 12.
Rights commission member Asmara Nababan said that the
government should be held responsible for the incident.
"The pretext of safeguarding the Special Session is not
acceptable to justify the shooting of the students," Asmara said.
Separately, the Alumni Association of the University of
Indonesia (ILUNI) denied the government's accusation that it has
been organizing and financing student movements.
Association official Indradjid Subardjo said that the
organization only provided logistics and medical supplies. ILUNI
chairman Hariadi Darmawan was among those questioned by police
for treason. (byg)