Indonesia Police To Deploy Thousands for Anti-graft Protest

channelnewsasia.com, 9 December 2009

Indonesia will deploy thousands of police to an anti-graft protest on Wednesday after President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono warned that unnamed forces could hijack the rally to topple him, a spokesman said.

"There will be 10,000 police personnel deployed tomorrow in several spots that will be passed by demonstrators," Jakarta police spokesman Boy Rafli told AFP. Anti-riot police would be among those on hand to suppress any violence.

On the eve of the protest, Yudhoyono appealed for people to demonstrate calmly, saying his government was serious about tackling graft.

"I urge the people to celebrate the world anti-corruption day tomorrow in an orderly way... In the next five years I want the results of combating corruption to be one of the legacies of my administration," he said.

Indonesia's top security chiefs met on Monday to discuss a supposed threat to the country after Yudhoyono told a gathering of his Democratic party that the rally was a front for a "hidden political scenario".

Yudhoyono is under mounting pressure over corruption allegations that have besieged the administration since his landslide election victory in July on the back of promises of good governance and economic growth.

The softly-spoken ex-general has been slow to discipline the officials involved and has seemed out of touch with public anger over the endless stream of corruption scandals.

His taciturn exterior was shaken when he angrily rejected suspicions that money from a 6.7-trillion-rupiah (710-million-dollar) government bailout for a failed bank found its way into his campaign coffers.

Organisers of the anti-graft rally said the president was paranoid and called on him to join them rather than demonising a popular movement for justice.

Source: channelnewsasia.com

Another Proof of Indonesian Police's Lack of Supervision

KOMPAS.com, 7 December 2009

The abuse case of University of Indonesia's historian, J.J. Rizal, done by police perpetrators Saturday night triggers strong reactions. This time it's the Indonesian Police Watch (IPW) that urges the district police chief to evaluate the performance of all resort police chiefs.

According to IPW coordinator, Neta S. Pane, in his press release to Kompas.com, Monday, the incident under the Depok Town Square overpass, Saturday evening, around 11.45 pm, is the second brutality done by the Depok police. Previously there was the shooting at the public transport driver who was suspected of gambling.

"This case in Beji area is the second in the last month, before this the police shot a bus driver. In this case the Depok police chief is lax for not monitoring his subordinates maximally. The Jakarta polie should evaluate the other police chiefs' positions."

According to Neta, the Beji case is only one of many cases of negligence in the National Police force. "This shows a weak recruitment and training system in the National Police. The government and the National Police chief should manage this seriously."

Meanwhile, J.J. Rizal, still refuses a peaceful compromy in settling the abuse incident that had befallen him. Rizal states that so far there has been no further approach from the Beji area police chief or from the Depok police chief.

"Since last week there has been no other effort of approach or communication from them aside from the time when they tried to use one of the social figures around my neighborhood, in Depok, to try to communicate with me to work out a compromizing solution. But I would've refused anyway. This must be settled in a court of law," said Rizal when contacted by Kompas.com.

Previously, on Sunday, Rizal had brought his case to the Jakarta police. In the dossier (BAP), Rizal is suing the five police perpetrators who abused him; their initials are AT, SR, SA, MA, and SU, with the charge of mobbing and abuse.

Source: KOMPAS.com

Police Beat Indonesian Historian

vivaNEWS.com, 7 December 2009

An Indonesian historian from University of Indonesia (UI) was ill-treated by the police on Saturday night, Dec 5. Victim JJ Rizal said he underwent physical maltreatment by a party of five police officers. "Two of them pointed guns at me," said Rizal on Sunday, Dec 6.

The man said the case had been brought to the Jakarta Police Department. "After the scanning result over my body has been completed, I would bring the case to Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) and Kontras," said JJ Rizal.

He claimed that the chiefs of Depok and Beji Depok police departments have begged for sorry over the excessive measures. "[The Beji Depok chief] also calls far me to forget the case," said Rizal.

However, Rizal said the issue should be legally processed because the field officers did not give him time to provide explanation.

"There was ambush on me. They hit more and talked less. The more I struggled, the more they beat me," the man recalled.

When he was under interrogation, the true story was revealed. The officers at once realized that he was not the real target.

However, even though it was the police's fault, the chief of Beji Depok PD instead chewed out on him: "You should not have struggled against them. Your action caused them to beat you," he said.

Source: vivaNEWS.com