Police become target of discontent

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)