Soldiers attack Papernas office in Palu, three seriously injured

Kompas – May 14, 2007
Members of Palu 132 Tadulako Sub-district Military Command (korem132tadulako)
Members of Palu 132 Tadulako Sub-district Military Command (korem132tadulako)

Palu – The regional office of the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) in the Central Sulawesi provincial capital of Palu was attacked by members of the Indonesian military (TNI) on Sunday May 13 at around 1am local time. Three party activists were beaten and suffered serious injuries.

One of the party members, Ikhsan, was also abducted to a location in Seleksi Tilawatil Alquran, Palu, around four kilometers from the incident. After being interrogated by at least 10 people, Ikhsan was returned and dropped off in the vicinity of the Papernas office.

The three activists who were beaten were M. Ikhsan (20), Wira Arezki (23) and Eko Arianto (24). All three suffered bruising on various parts of their bodies and Wira sustained a slash wound to his mouth.

According to Ikhsan, at around 11.15 Wira received an ominous phone call asking him to go to the Palu Muhammadiyah University camps. When Wira refused the caller said they would come to the Papernas office on Jl. Rajamoili.

An hour later, seven or more motorbikes pulled up and parked in front of the Papernas office. Residents thought that police were conducting an arrest. “They were heavily built, had close-cropped hair and military style boots”, said an eyewitness. It was shortly after this that the beatings took place.

One of the perpetrators, private first-class Makmur was arrested by the Palu Municipal police and handed over to the Palu military police headquarters. The commander of the Palu 132/Tadulako Sub-district Military Command (Korem), Colonel Husein Malik admitted that Makmur, one of his subordinates was involved in the incident. He denied however that the attack was premeditated or motivated by the political interests of the TNI.

The chairperson of Papernas’s Central Sulawesi branch, Martin Sibarani has lodged a strong protest while branch general secretary Aristan added that the commander of the VII/Wirabuana Regional Military Command (Kodam) and the commander of Korem 132/Tadulako must be held responsible for the incident. (REI)

[Translated by James Balowski.]