Police become target of discontent

JAKARTA (JP): The recent violent attacks against police stations in many parts of the country reflected people's growing discontent with authority, experts said yesterday.

These attacks came from an accumulation of discontent, said Bambang Widjojanto, chairman of the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute.

"The police become the target because they work closely with the community," Bambang said.

Their contempt of police was fueled by negative news reports about police behavior, he added.

Criminologist Mulyana W. Kusumah attributed the conflict to a breakdown in communication between police and the community they serve.

Mulyana expressed concern that police were now beefing up their operational forces to quell disturbances but were neglecting their communication ability. "They should not neglect their function to counsel the community," he said.

The trend would likely continue after the recent endorsement of the police bill by the House of Representatives. The proposed legislation gave police greater repressive power but said little about communication, he noted.

Mulyana counted at least 12 cases of violent attacks against police stations since December.

The latest occurred in August in Pelabuhan Ratu, Sukabumi and in Pameungpeuk, Garut, both in West Java.

In Pameungpeuk, an angry crowd set fire to a police station and ransacked a nearby police officer's residence. The attacks were sparked by rumors that the officer had killed a colleague.

In Pelabuhan Ratu, a group burned down a police post, alleging police inefficiency in probing the death of a school teacher.

Yesterday, relatives of 20 people who were arrested following the Pelabuhan Ratu raid gave power of attorney to the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute.

The suspects were being detained at four police stations in Sukabumi, the relatives said. (05)