Shoot-on-sight order issued in N. Sumatra

Shoot-on-sight order issued in N. Sumatra

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan

Following rampant brawls involving youth organizations, North
Sumatra provincial police declared on Tuesday that they would
shoot on sight anyone involved in brawling.

Spokesman of North Sumatra provincial police Sr. Comr. Bambang
Prihady said that the order, which came from the chief, was aimed
only at incapacitating the people concerned, not killing them.
"It is action of the last resort. The police are encouraged to
shoot them on sight, if brawls have endangered the lives of
others, including police personnel," said Bambang.

The statement came after rampant brawls in the past month,
which led to the death of four people in Medan, the capital of
North Sumatra province.

The brawls involved the Pancasila Youth and the Functional
Youth Union in which the motive behind the brawling was mostly
competition for the management of parking lots.

The last brawl occurred on Saturday in Labuhan Deli, which
caused serious injury to a police officer, such that he had to be
treated at Gleneagles Hospital, Medan.

Separately, North Sumatra Governor Rizal Nurdin urged the
leaders of both youth groups to calm their members and ordered
them not to get involved in brawling anymore.

The governor, a former military commander, also supported a
move by the provincial police, who have imposed a province-wide,
shoot-on-sight order.

"This is not a cowboy state where people can wander freely,
carrying guns and machetes," said Rizal.

However, Rizal called on the police to obey their own rules
and procedures before they shot on sight anyone involved in
brawling.

According to the procedure, once the police are called to
intervene in a brawl, they warn the people involved to stop
forthwith. If the people refuse, the police fire a warning shot.

Only if their lives and that of others are endangered, may the
police be allowed to shoot brawlers down.