Police apologize after beating PDI-P protesters

Police apologize after beating PDI-P protesters

Yogita Tahilramani and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post,
Jakarta

Surabaya Police formally apologized on Tuesday on behalf of
their police officers, who had brutally beaten up members of the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), during
a demonstration.

The demonstration was a result of party infighting over who
should be the Surabaya branch chairperson, and specifically
against M. Basuki, the current branch chairman who was apparently
dismissed from the post but refuses to step down.

"We have apologized for our officers' behaviors. They could
not control themselves emotionally, when they were dispersing the
chaotic protesters. However the protesters behaved, police
officers should not have beaten them up," Surabaya Police Chief
Sr. Comr. Itho Sumardi said on Tuesday.

"If a lawsuit is filed against the Surabaya Police over this
matter, we are ready. We will hand over this matter to the East
Java Police. We do not blame our officers ... If I am blamed over
this matter, it's fine. Whatever the punishment, I am ready," he
said.

The incident occurred on Monday when supporters of PDI
Perjuangan secretary general Sutjipto, who Basuki's supporters
allege had fabricated documents which resulted in the ouster of
Basuki, forced their way into the Surabaya Legislative building,
just after the legislators had finished a meeting to discuss the
issue of the party's chief post in Surabaya.

PDI Perjuangan, the largest faction in the House of
Representatives, is chaired by President Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Among the 20 PDI Perjuangan members who suffered beatings by
officers from the Surabaya Police elite mobile brigade (Brimob),
were reportedly Sutjipto's son, Wishnu Sakti Buana, and his 60-
year-old grandfather, who participated in the demonstration on
Monday.

Despite the apologies, Sutjipto's son Wishnu said on Tuesday
that he would continue with his lawsuit, adding that he had
already filed a police complaint over the matter at the East Java
Police Headquarters.

Meanwhile, PDI Perjuangan Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri
assigned on Tuesday three central executive board members to go
to Surabaya and gather information on the clash between the party
members and the police.

Pramono Anung, Gunawan Wirosaroyo and I Gusti Ngurah Sara are
scheduled to leave for Surabaya as soon as possible to collect
the facts on the prolonged disputes over the party's Surabaya
branch.

"The results of their findings will be reported in the coming
meeting of the central executive board," Sutjipto said after the
party's weekly meeting on Tuesday.

House of Representatives legislator Haryanto Taslam of PDI
Perjuangan had filed a lawsuit in February on behalf of his
colleagues against Sutjipto for document forgery and defamation.

Haryanto had demanded that Sutjipto and the party's top
executives revoke a decree to dismiss M. Basuki. The legislators
at House Commission II for legal and home affairs have accused
Sutjipto of fabricating documents which resulted in the ouster of
Basuki.