PT Kadera officials to be queried over mortal attack

JAKARTA (JP): Two officials of PT Kadera AR Indonesia, a car upholstery producer, will be among four people to be questioned on Tuesday in connection with last Thursday's fatal attack on striking workers of the company in the Pulogadung industrial estate, East Jakarta, a police detective said on Monday.

"The four to be questioned are the company's vice president Rulichi Sudjatim, deputy general manager Amrin Gobel, a security guard Ramadhan, and an employee, Suwadi," East Jakarta Police chief of detectives, Adj. Comr. Agus Irianto told reporters on Monday.

"We still need more evidence and witnesses in the case," he added.

The attack left one dead and several injured.

The victim was identified as Kimun Effendi, a 21-year-old worker, who lived on Jl. Kedondong II in Kranji, Bekasi.

Kimun was among hundreds of workers of PT Kadera AR Indonesia who were attacked by an unknown group of people while on strike in the early hours of March 29.

The workers, who had camped inside the factory since the strike took effect on March 19, were asleep when around 500 unidentified people, armed with machetes and swords arrived on buses and started to attack. They threw explosives at the striking workers.

Officer Agus had earlier said that Kimun allegedly died from wounds caused by an explosion.

Separately, dozens of PT Kadera employees protested outside the Jakarta Police Headquarters demanding that police investigate and arrest those responsible for the attack which killed Kimun.

Employee spokesman Nano Sunarno said that police were very slow in investigating the case.

"It would come as no surprise to us protesters, that police would only provide security if they were paid by the factory's management," Nano said.

Agus said earlier that security was made available at the factory during the protests "not because PT Kaldera paid the police."

"The factory officials were really stingy... while we were securing their area, they did not even offer police officers water to drink," Agus said.

"We will of course not ask for anything, but the officers were on alert in the area for several hours. The least the factory could do was to offer us some water." (ylt/01)