Police beat up PDIP protesters in Surabaya
Police beat up PDIP protesters in Surabaya
Yogita Tahilramani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Internal disputes within the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) took on a new dimension on Monday when
PDI Perjuangan members protesting against Surabaya branch office
party head, M. Basuki, were beaten up by police for forcing their
way into the Surabaya Legislature building on Jl. Yos. Sudarso.
The demonstration was held by supporters of PDI Perjuangan
secretary-general Sutjipto, who had allegedly fabricated
documents which resulted in the ouster of Basuki, police officers
said.
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 a
60-year-old grandfather, who participated in the demonstrations
on Monday.
"Police have so far made no arrests. We will only call the
demonstrators for questioning over the violence that occurred,"
South Surabaya Police Resort chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Agus Sunarjo
said on Monday afternoon.
The demonstrators, grouped under the People's Struggle for
Total Reform (PRRT), forced their way into the compound, just as
legislators had finished a meeting to discuss the issue of the
PDI Perjuangan faction's chief post.
The chief post is currently being fought over by groups within
PDI Perjuangan, including Basuki's group.
The demonstrators reportedly started throwing plastic water
bottles at the faces of security personnel for not allowing them
into the legislature building.
When police officers got hit in the face by the bottles, they
got angry and started to beat up the demonstrators with their
sticks.
Demonstrators who suffered severe head and facial wounds as a
result of the beatings, were rushed to the Dr. Soetomo hospital
in Surabaya.
The angry police officers also started damaging the sound
system used by the demonstrators during the protest.
House of Representatives legislator Haryanto Taslam of PDI
Perjuangan had filed a lawsuit in February on behalf of his
colleagues against Sutjipto over document forgery and defamation.
Haryanto had demanded that Sutjipto and the party's top
executives revoke a decree to dismiss M. Basuki.
The legislator at House Commission II on law and home affairs
has accused Sutjipto of fabricating documents which resulted in
the ouster of Basuki.
"Sutjipto's statement in a letter saying there was a party
executive board meeting to dismiss Basuki was all a lie," said
Haryanto, Basuki's legal advisor. He added that Sutjipto's
attitude had tarnished the party's image, and therefore he
deserved administrative sanctions, including dismissal.
Sutjipto, who is deputy speaker of the People's Consultative
Assembly, played down the legal action, saying that the party
executive board supported him.