Student suing ABRI chiefs over abuse

Student suing ABRI chiefs over abuse

JAKARTA (JP): A female student of Indonesian Christian
University (UKI) has announced that she will sue the Jakarta
Military commander, the Army chief of staff and the Armed Forces
commander for alleged physical abuse at the hands of soldiers.

Verayanti Hitipiu, 23, who is undergoing medical treatment for
a fractured skull, lodged a complaint with the National
Commission on Human Rights on Thursday.

During the visit, Verayanti was accompanied by her father
Frans Hitipiu, 61, a nurse, a doctor and dozens of fellow
students from the City Forum (Forkot) student group.

"We will sue three top officials as they are responsible for
the abuse of my daughter," Frans said.

He told two commission members -- Soegiri and M. Salim -- that
he had reported the case to the city police and the city military
police, but received no satisfactory response.

"We ask for the commission's assistance to help force the
military police to investigate the case," Frans said,

Verayanti, who arrived at the commission's office in an
ambulance, had been advised by her doctor not to make a
statement.

Frans said Verayanti, a law student, and her friends were on
their way by bus to the campus in Cawang, East Jakarta, at 8 p.m.
after joining an antigovernment demonstration in front of the
House of Representatives compound on Dec. 17, last year, when a
number of soldiers shot one of the bus' tires.

He claimed that the soldiers then rushed onto the bus, beat
the students, including Verayanti, with their guns.

At least 21 students were injured, including Verayanti who was
severely wounded in her head. She underwent surgery at UKI
hospital that night, where she is still being treated.

Verayanti's lawyers from the Student Movement Lawyers Team
produced several bullets believed to have been fired at the bus,
and pictures of the incident.

Commission member Soegiri said the commission would urge the
Jakarta military police to investigate the case.

"You did the right thing by reporting the case to the military
police. We will support your action," he said.

During the visit, another UKI student, Hendi Karo-Karo,
complained to the commission about his alleged wrongful arrest
for suspected involvement in the kidnapping of a police officer.

"I was arrested as if I were a criminal. I was released the
following morning as the officers did not have any evidence
suggesting that I was involved in the kidnapping. How could the
police do such a thing?" Hendi said.

Hendi and his brother, Edward Karo-Karo who is also a student
at the university, were arrested at their home in Cawang, East
Jakarta, on Dec. 8.

The police also arrested UKI student Rudi Pahala Simatupang in
his house in Ciganjur, South Jakarta, at the same time. Edward is
still in custody at city police headquarters.

The South Jakarta District Court released Rudi on Jan. 22,
ruling that the police wrongly arrested him.

The court also ordered city police to pay Rudi Rp 1 million
(US$111) in compensation.

Rudi's relatives also visited the commission on Thursday to
complain that the police have yet to pay the compensation. (jun)