Students to report police action to military

JAKARTA (JP): Two students from the Indonesian Christian University (UKI) plan to report city police officers to the Jakarta Military Command for wrongfully arresting them, the students' lawyer said on Monday.

Hotma Timbul Hutapea, a member of the Student Advocating Team, said the students -- Rudi Pahala Simatupang and Hendi Karo-karo -- were wrongfully arrested on Dec. 8.

"They were also mistreated while in detention at the city police headquarters and we intend to report the matter to the military police," Hotma said.

He said Hendi and his brother, Edward Karo-karo, were arrested at their home on Jl. Sutoyo in Cawang, East Jakarta, while Rudi was detained at his home on Jl. Sadar in Ciganjur, South Jakarta.

Hotma said the police released Hendi, a UKI law student, on Dec. 9, but continued to hold Rudi and Edward for allegedly kidnapping a police intelligence officer identified as Supratman on Nov. 27.

Rudi and Edward then filed lawsuits at South Jakarta District Court seeking compensation of over Rp 1 billion (US$110,000) for their suffering during the incident.

In a trial on Jan. 18, the court ruled in favor of Rudi, who was released on the same day. However Edward's case was thrown out on Jan. 21.

Fifty students grouped in the City Forum (Forkot) protested against the judge's decision during a demonstration staged outside the city police headquarters.

Late last year, Suratman's wife, Dwi Rusianah, and Dewi, the wife of a police officer assaulted by demonstrators in Pasar Baru on Dec. 10, submitted complaints to the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) on behalf of their husbands.

On Monday, the women returned to the commission to find out if their complaint had been acted on and were told by Bambang Widjojanto that the matter had been reported to the police.

The Kontras adviser also told them the commission would be unable to represent the officers because it was already representing the students in the case.

"It would be a conflict of interest if we represented the officers," Bambang pointed out.

The two women appeared disappointed by the commission's response.

Soldier

Separately on Monday, the Jakarta Police summoned a soldier who was allegedly assaulted by demonstrators in East Jakarta last month.

City police spokesman Lt. Col. Edward Aritonang confirmed that First Soldier Djumbadi had been summoned to give his account of the incident.

"He was summoned to give his testimony as the key witness in the incident," Aritonang said, referring to the incident which took place on Dec. 18.

After the questioning, Djumbadi, who is attached to the Army's cavalry unit, told reporters that a gang of people forced him out of a public bus when it stopped in front of the UKI Hospital before dawn on Dec. 18.

"I was wearing my combat troop uniform, so they recognized me and forced me out of the bus. I was then dragged into the hospital yard, where dozens more people were waiting," he said.

Djumbadi said his attackers were UKI students, although when pressed he admitted that none had worn UKI's light blue jacket.

Djumbadi, who hails from Gunung Kidul in Yogyakarta, said that he was stripped of his possessions after the beating was over.

He said his assailants made off with his combat shirt, bayonet, a magazine containing 23 rubber bullets, his hat and his boots.

He also lost his wallet, Rp 400.000 and all his identification cards.

"The students stripped me off and beat me on my neck," he added. (jun/emf)