Police force KPA activists

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)