Police question protesters over Medan shooting

MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): Police say they have questioned at least 17 protesters in connection with a shooting incident on Tuesday outside the headquarters of state plantation company PTP Nusantara II, in Tanjung Morawa, a town about 20 kilometers south of here.

North Sumatra Police spokesman Lt. Col. Amrin Karim told reporters on Wednesday that the people questioned included Ramses Simbolon, who is a lecturer from the Saint Thomas Catholic University (Unika), and the chairman of the North Sumatra Reform Movement Alliance.

The officer did not name the alliance executive but sources identified him as Buyung.

According to officer Karim, the two are believed to have led the protest over a land dispute. He said the protest itself was illegal as the organizers did not notify police beforehand, as required by a new law.

Karim said that the incident, in which security troops fired into a crowd of protesters injuring 16, started when protesters threw stones and Molotov cocktails. Two security officers were also injured, he said.

"The 16 wounded protesters consisted of 10 Unika and Nommensen University students, one student from North Sumatra Muhammadiyah University (UMSU), three civilians, and two high school students," the police spokesman said.

He said he knew nothing about the type of wounds suffered by the victims. Sources at Saint Elizabeth Hospital revealed that most of the 12 victims treated there had bullet wounds in the hips and lower bodies.

The senior doctor at the hospital, Prof. Menam Ginting, told reporters on Wednesday that one protester, identified as Monang Naibaho, was shot in the back.

Two of the 12 injured protesters -- students Jinson Purba and Jonson Tarigan -- have returned home.

Ginting identified the 10 still in hospital as Monang Naibaho, Elisati Halawa, Tumpal Panjaitan (all university students), Offredy Harefa from the PBHI legal aid institute, Winter Sitorus, Kasin, Suwarno, Muliadi, Ponidi, and farmer Sudiman.

He said he still needed time to determine whether the victims were shot with real or rubber bullets. However, he said doctors had found "metal fragments" in the victims' bodies.

Officer Karim said the incident started with a rally organized by a group called Suara Rakyat (Voice of the People) at the governor's office here on Tuesday morning.

They were protesting what they allege to be the illegal appropriation of their land by the state sugar cane and tobacco plantation company.

"We cannot reclaim our land through peaceful methods. We have to use violence," one of the protesters said.

"Their protest was rejected because they had obtained no letter of notification from the police to stage the rally," Karim said.

The group joined another crowd of about 3,000 students to express their grievances over the disputed land at the PTP Nusantara II office at Tanjung Morawa.

The protesters' demands to meet with the president of the company were rejected.

Angry protesters threw stones and Molotov cocktails at the troops, which included three platoons of mobile brigade personnel, one unit of anti-riot police and a platoon from the 122nd military battalion, Karim said.

"The clash broke out at few minutes past 5 p.m. and the first victims were from the security personnel side," the police officer said.

"We do not yet know who -- whether the students or others -- threw the stones and Molotov cocktails at the security personnel," he said.

Karim's claims were supported by an SCTV report on Tuesday evening, which said protesters first threw rocks at the security forces who then opened fire.

The private television station in its evening news broadcast showed the crowd fleeing as shots rang out, with police chasing and rounding up stragglers, some of whom were injured.

However, protesters challenged Karim's version of events.

Monang Naibaho, who is still being treated in hospital, said: "The clash occurred when the students and the people could not accept the (company's) refusal for us to meet with the boss."

A statement made by Nommensen students said: "The students were shot like wild chickens."

Karim said that the two wounded officers, First Sgt. Subardi and Second Sgt. Antoni Pasaribu, were "still lying at the PTP II hospital".

"One of them still cannot open his eyes and his nose is broken. The other one kept vomiting, after being hit by a stone on his head. I think he has concussion," he said.

From Jakarta, PBHI legal aid center chairman Hendardi condemned the shooting. (40/39/bsr)