Panwaslu official attacked in Batang

Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Batang, Central Java

The deputy chairman of Batang regency's Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu), Agus Triono, 32, was assaulted by four unknown assailants at dawn on Tuesday.

According to Agus, the incident began when he was riding his motorcycle on his way to Kalisasak housing complex where he lives from the Panwaslu office in Batang regency. Suddenly four men stopped him on a street somewhere between his office and his house.

Two of them approached him and hit him in the face. "When I fell down, and blood covered my face, they left me immediately," he said.

Agus had to have several sutures for the cut on his forehead and complained of headache. He could not identify the assailants as they wore full-faced helmets. He did not even understand the motive behind the attack.

Agus is being treated at Kalisari General Hospital.

The chairman of Central Java Panwaslu, Nur Hidayat Sardini, who visited Agus at the hospital, commented that the perpetrators had no respect for the law enforcer.

"Those kind of people do not deserve to live in this country," he said.

He believed that the attack was related to his duty as an Panwaslu official. "The case must be investigated thoroughly as it has set a bad precedent," he said.

Separately, Batang Police chief, Adj. Sr. Comr. Edy Sunarijanto Setyo, promised to track down the culprits. So far, he said, he had called 13 witnesses for information regarding the case.

"We have asked witnesses to assist the police in the investigation," he said.