PPP to complain to rights body over police beatings
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)