Police force KPA activists

JAKARTA (JP): Two activists testified in a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday that they saw the police using force to expel four of their colleagues, who were on a hunger strike, from the People's Consultative Assembly complex last month.

The witnesses corroborated the claim by the four activists from the Agrarian Reform Consortium (KPA) -- Anton Sulton, Idham Kurniawan, Mohamad Hafiz Azdam and Usep Setiawan -- that they were removed from the building against their will.

The four, who staged the hunger strike to draw attention to various land conflicts in Indonesia, have filed a lawsuit against the police with the South Jakarta District Court, demanding compensation of Rp 4.1 billion ($576,000).

Dede Shineba of KPA Jakarta told the court on Tuesday that he saw some 50 police officers force Idham and Anton into an ambulance.

He said he saw an officer kick Usep and Idham in the back.

All four were in good health and would have been able to walk to the ambulance, he added.

Raylewen T.F. of the United People Coordinating Forum (FKMB) in Bandung told the court that he did not see any of the officers produce an arrest warrant when they took the activists.

Police have denied the claims and insisted that the activists voluntarily left the building after negotiations with the officer in charge.

Subsequent to their removal, the four activists went missing for nearly two weeks, prompting speculation that they had been kidnapped. Since their return, however, police have not been able to question them to investigate their claims of abduction.

Judge Muchtar Ritonga adjourned the pre-trial hearing until Wednesday to announce his findings. (01)