Seven tried for attacking Komnas HAM office

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Seven people stood trial on Wednesday at the Central Jakarta District Court for allegedly attacking the office of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM). Ten people were injured in the attack.

Defendants Ahmad Gunarso, Wartono, Yeyet Adian, Dedy Bachtiar, Endang S., Saidih and Danial Al Haz, all members of the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR), were held responsible for the attack against members of the Urban Poor Consortium (UPC) who were staging a demonstration outside the office in Jl. Latuharhari, Menteng, Central Jakarta, on March 28, according to the indictment.

The defendants were tried in two separate trials. The first four defendants were tried by a panel of judges led by Judge M. Daming Sunusi and the others by another panel of judges presided over by Iskandar Tjakke.

They were charged with violating Article 170, Paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment.

Chief prosecutor Slamet Rijanto said the defendants, along with other FBR members held a meeting on March 27 at the residence of their leader, Fadloli El Muhir, to discuss their planned visit to Komnas HAM office.

However, the indictments did not mention whether their plan to visit the office was for the purpose of attacking demonstrators led by Wardah Hafidz of the UPC.

The prosecutor also did not mention the fact that FBR members had previously attacked UPC members when they were staging a rally to protest against Governor Sutiyoso at City Hall. At that time, they threatened to "arrest" Wardah.

Claiming to be Betawi people (native Jakartans), FBR has repeatedly expressed its hostility toward Wardah and the UPC, which has strongly criticized the city administration's discriminatory policy toward the poor.

Using several public buses and a minivan, some 1,000 FBR members led by Endang went first to the City Council building in Jl. Kebon Sirih, Central Jakarta, and later to the Komnas HAM office, according to the indictment.

They asked a policeman, Supriyanto, about the whereabouts of the Komnas HAM office before entering its yard and attacking the demonstrators.

There was no information in the indictment as to why the FBR members were permitted to enter the office even though they were carrying machetes, rocks, and wooden clubs despite the presence of several policemen.

FBR members, lead by Wartono, attacked the demonstrators and damaged the Komnas HAM office. As many as 10 people, including several activists, were injured while 37 others, including babies, received light injuries in the incident.

The defendants denied their involvement in the attack.