Police front lines told to use batons only
JAKARTA (JP): Following the loss of 16 lives during student rallies, Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces (ABRI) Chief Gen. Wiranto has given instructions that police officers standing facing the front lines of demonstrators should only carry batons.
ABRI spokesman Maj. Gen. Syamsul Ma'arif confirmed on Monday that the instruction was meant to prevent a repetition of the Nov. 13 Semanggi shooting spree.
"Officers standing on the front lines who have direct contact with the demonstrators, must not carry ammunition at all," he told The Jakarta Post.
"They are to equip themselves with batons, body protectors and shields only," he said. He said the instruction was issued immediately after the Semanggi shooting incident, whose victims include eight students. Syamsul, however, said that the instruction did not include the officers standing in the back rows, who would still carry blank and rubber bullets.
"Officers in the rear are allowed to carry their guns and ammunition because they are to deal with demonstrations which may turn into riots," he said.
Meanwhile National Military Police Chief Maj. Gen. Djasrie Marin confirmed on Monday that his office would question Wiwid Pratiwo, a student of Trisakti University's air transportation management school, over his testimony before members of the National Commission on Human Rights last Saturday.
"Wiwid has confirmed that he would testify before the National Military Police investigators on Wednesday," he told reporters at the sidelines of a seminar on national resilience held by the National Resilience Institute (Lemhanas).
Wiwid told the Commission members last Saturday that he was forced to become an informer and was warned several hours in advance that security personnel would open fire on the afternoon of Nov. 13 near the Atma Jaya University campus.
Djasrie said that his office has also questioned a military policeman from the presidential guard unit, identified as chief Private "BL", following Wiwid's accusation that he had been recruited as an informer by a soldier called "BL".
"He denied that he knew Wiwid, and that he ever met him."
Wiwid told the rights commission that he was in the front line of the student protest when he received a message via a pager provided by "BL", calling him and fellow "informers" to withdraw from the scene as there would be a shooting spree from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Djasrie also confirmed that live bullets, found in the body of one of the victims, did not belong to ABRI's standard ammunition.
On the proceeding of the investigation, he said 163 security officers have received disciplinary sanctions for failure to listen to superiors' instructions to stop the shooting.
He did not dismiss the possibility that snipers had been present and had used metal bullets, but would need to confirm the allegation with further evidence.
Also on Monday 1,000 students grouped in City Forum or Forkot and Sahid University held a mass prayer gathering at Sahid campus on Jl. Dr.Sahardjo, Tebet in South Jakarta, in commemoration of recent violent incidents. On Sunday 14 died in riots in Jakarta.
"We want to show our respect to all of the victims of violence, especially fellow students who died in the struggle for democracy," Adian of Forkot said.
Before the prayer, Sahid students staged a free speech forum under the Pancoran flyover in South Jakarta up to 6:30 p.m.
Fears
Some students, however, expressed fears of a possible riot as a group of people emerged at about 6 p.m. from Manggarai, an area where clashes also claimed a number of lives last week.
Separately Lili of the Communication Forum of Jakarta's Student Senates (FKSMJ) said the group would remain consistent with its demands. "We will stage a rally demanding the trial of former president Soeharto for his abuses."
Ki Joyo Sardo of the Big Family of the University of Indonesia said that like FKSMJ, members were taking a break from street rallies to better plan their next steps.
"We'll think of a way as ABRI seems to be deaf and insensitive, along with the rest of the government," he said.
Dullah of the Student Action Front for Reform and Democracy (FAMRED) also shared the same opinion.
"We admit that we are tired. But the actions will continue. We want to focus our demands on the termination of ABRI's dual functions as well as the probing of Pak Harto," he said.
Forkot's Adian said that the group would still fight for the establishment of the Committee of Indonesian People (KRI), a committee comprising all the nation's components.
"We are against the Armed Forces dual-role concept, the Habibie's administration, the result of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Special Session and the government's reform agenda," he said, while admitting that he and fellow student demonstrators are now exhausted and have almost run out of money.
Meanwhile in Jambi, some 1,000 Jambi University students were involved in a stone pelting clash with riot police, Antara reported Monday. A hoodlum named Edy, 33, suspected as a provocateur, was beaten both by students and the security forces shortly after the clash broke out at 10:30 a.m.
In Yogyakarta hundreds of people from the Association of Nahdlatul Ulama Moslem Organization (Serikat Masyarakat Nahdlatul Ulama) staged a protest against ABRI's dual function on Jl. Adi Sucipto. Murtajib, a representative of the group said that they will stage an art happening, a hunger strike and a free speech forum until Wednesday. (edt/44/imn)