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.