Police’s reputation at risk
The police’s use of what many regard as excessive force during recent mass protests staged in Jakarta and other cities against a number of bills believed to endanger civil liberty has become a cause of concern.
In the Southeast Sulawesi provincial capital of Kendari, the police were even accused of firing live rounds to fend off protesting students, two of whom died allegedly as a result. At least 13 officers are undergoing an investigation in connection with the shooting incidents.
Questions have arisen over what justified such an aggressive approach, further changing the image of the National Police from guardians to enemies of the people. The police’s standard operating procedure in dealing with the demonstrations was unclear, at least for the hundreds arrested and their families, in the aftermath of the protests.
Frantic parents have visited a number of police offices in search of their children who had not returned home since the mass protests began on Sept. 24. Some parents found their wounded sons lying on hospital beds. Others reported their “disappeared” loved ones to human rights groups such as the independent Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) and the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute.
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo announced on Wednesday the Jakarta Police and five other police precincts had arrested 845 people since Sept. 23, with 535 having been released. The police were still questioning 310 people, he said, but had yet to press charges against them. He said some of those in custody would be returned to their parents with assistance from the National Commission on Child Protection as they were minors.
The police’s latest statement will not appease the public, which remains curious about the current state of those arrested. More than that, we do not know what happened to them during interrogation.
Under the rule of law, the students and their families have the right to a fair process of law. Not only do the students deserve legal aid during police questioning, but also opportunities to communicate with their families.
Musician Ananda Badudu, who faced the music with the Jakarta Police over a crowdfunding campaign to support the student protests, said during questioning that he saw students “being processed unethically and without legal assistance”. The police have threatened to sue him for his statement, but Ananda says he will not retract it.
The police have repeatedly come under the international spotlight for their alleged use of torture to extract confessions. Last February, a United Nations panel of experts demanded an investigation into numerous cases of violence, unlawful arrests and mistreatment revolving around the National Police after video footage surfaced showing officers wrapping a large snake around a young Papuan boy accused of a petty crime. The police apologized for the incident.
As freedom of expression is a legitimate right of all, demonstrations will recur. We used to see friendly looking police officers, including specially deployed policewomen, negotiating with protesters to deal with demonstrations. Sadly, this mechanism has been long gone for reasons unknown.