Edward Gilbert Munthe, Medan – The Medan Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) has slammed a statement by Medan mayor and President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's brother-in-law, Bobby Nasution, supporting criminals being shot dead.
According to LBH Medan Deputy Director Muhammad Alinafiah Matondang, although he agrees with the government and police eradicating crime, if they forcibly take a person's life, this of course is illegal.
Matondang said that in enforcing the law, the government and law enforcement agencies are not allowed to break the law.
"LBH Medan regrets and condemns the statement by Medan Mayor Bobby Afif Nasution for the alleged call 'supporting the police shooting dead begal [robbers, thieves, petty criminals] and motorcycle gang [members] that resist [arrest], and which have made the community uneasy' on Thursday July 6 during the presentation of a case at the Belawan district police station as reported by online media sources", said Matondang in a press release received by Tribun-Medan.com on Tuesday July 11.
Matondang said the call allegedly made by Nasution conflicts with the law and human rights because it is leading in the direction of killing without legal proceedings or a court ruling (extra-judicial killing).
According to Matondang, such an attitude is not very different from the sadistic perpetrators of robberies and the motorcycle gangs which have without mercy injured and killed victims.
"The Medan mayor should be able to correct himself, because from the rampant crime and the motorcycle gangs, is certainly raises questions about the benefits and relevance of the Medan municipal government's working programs at the moment", he said.
The Medan LBH says that preventing and tackling begal and motorcycle gangs in North Sumatra, especially in Medan city, is also the responsibility of all stakeholders, including the Medan mayor and his officials.
"Such as conducting strict and routine supervision of local neighbourhoods through local officials together with Babinkamtibmas [village-assigned police officers who act as advisers on security and public order], Babinsa [non-commissioned military officer posted in villages and wards and affiliated with the civilian administration] and community leaders", he said.
LBH Medan conveyed its support for preventing and tackling widespread crimes by begal and motorcycle gangs which are creating unease at the moment by sticking with the guidelines in the 1945 Constitution, Law Number 39/1999 on Human Rights in conjunction with Law Number 12/2005 on the Ratification of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, and National Police Chief Regulation Number 1/2009 on the Use of Force in Police Actions in conjunction with National Police Chief Regulation Number 8/2009 on Implementing Human Rights Principles and Standards in Organising Police Duties.
Earlier, Nasution said that he supports criminals being shot dead.
"Criminal actions that are committed under the legal jurisdiction of the Belawan district police will be acted on in a firm and measured way. And if they still occur frequently, I strongly agree if they are punished as firmly as possible", said Nasution on Thursday.
He also said that he strongly supports the police shooting begal and motorcycle gang members. "Today, (crimes) in the Medan city area will be tackled in the field, even if they have to be shot dead", said Nasution.
Nasution also took the opportunity to say that he managed to conduct a patrol in the area under the legal jurisdiction of the Belawan Port district police.
He also spoke with traders who felt anxious about rampant crime such as theft and robberies. Although the traders have not been injured physically, said Nasution, psychologically they are disturbed by the terror of crimes that are becoming more vicious.
Because of this Nasution has again asked the police to create a deterrent effect for the perpetrators of these crimes. (cr28/tribun-medan.com)
Notes
In January President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo publicly acknowledged and expressed his regret over 12 cases of past gross human rights violations that have occurred in Indonesia. One of these, the Petrus or mysterious shootings, was the extrajudicial execution of alleged criminals without trial between 1983 and 1985, which then president Suharto said in his biography was "shock therapy" he himself condoned. Almost every day, corpses with gunshot wounds were found in streets, rivers, forests or open spaces for the public to see during the anti-crime drive. The National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) estimates the operation claimed between 6,000 and 8,000 lives.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "LBH Medan Kecam Pernyataan Wali Kota Medan yang Dukung Polisi Tembak Mati Pelaku Kejahatan".]
