PPP to complain to rights body over police beatings

SURABAYA (JP): The United Development Party's (PPP) local chapter plans to lodge a complaint with the National Commission on Human Rights over security personnel's alleged mistreatment of its supporters in Pasuruan, East Java.

"We're receiving reports from people who were detained for questioning (over a campaign clash) and beaten up by security personnel," said chapter chairman Syumli Sadli.

During a party rally Monday in Pasuruan, a scuffle broke out in Pohjentrek district between hundreds of PPP supporters and hundreds of police. The police were trying to stop the supporters taking to the town's streets before heading to the rally.

Troops and riot police, backed by armored vehicles from the nearby town of Malang, used force to break up the crowd. Fifty supporters were arrested, but only one remained in custody yesterday.

After the scuffle, thousands of supporters marched to a police post and demanded their friends' release. A resident said local religious leader Ahmad Subadar and East Java police chief Maj. Gen. Soemarsono persuaded the mob to disperse.

Dozens of police were injured and two cars and six motorcycles were damaged in the incident.

Syumli said clashes had repeatedly broken out in Pasuruan because security personnel had treated the PPP supporters unfairly.

"We won't let what happened in Yogyakarta happen here. We're afraid a big fight will break out here if problems are not taken care of quickly," Syumli said.

Tension has gripped Yogyakarta since Golkar supporters attacked to PPP offices on April 30. Police forcibly broke up a protest bu PPP activists in the city streets last Thursday night.

In Jakarta, the head of the National Police General Information Department, Col. Bambang Haryoko, called on the public to be more careful when deciding to join campaign activities.

Bambang said that more than a hundred people nationwide had died or been injured in the first nine days of the campaign.

"As of yesterday, 15 people had died, 29 suffered severe injuries and 71 minor ones," Bambang said.

At least 36 of the 115 victims had been following the PPP's campaign, 40 had followed Golkar's, and 9 had followed the Indonesian Democratic Party's (PDI).

"Let's not increase the number of casualties," Bambang said.

Data from the National Police Center of Operational Control shows that the campaign has been dominated by traffic rule violations and vandalism. There have been 103 cases of vandalism. (nur/aan/cst)