Aryo Putranto Saptohutomo, Jakarta – The Civil Society Coalition for Security Sector Reform has strongly condemned the attack by scores of TNI (Indonesian) soldiers from the Medan 2 Artillery Battalion/Kilap Sumagan (Armed-2/KS) on residents of the Selamat Village in Sibiru-Biru district, Deli Serdang, North Sumatra.
The incident on Friday November 8 resulted in the death of a resident, Raden Barus, and scores of others suffering serious injuries. The attack, which took place at dawn, has attracted widespread criticism and demands for justice from the community.
The Coalition is calling for the soldiers involved be tried in a public court. According to the Coalition, it is very important that the legal process be transparent so a sense of justice for the victims is truly met.
"The TNI members who are suspected of carrying out the brutal attack must not be left off without legal proceedings and must be punished in accordance with their actions", said Ardi Manto from Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial), which is a member of the Coalition, in a statement on Thursday November 14.
Manto is concerned that if the perpetrators are tried through a military court, it will instead tend to ensure impunity and protect the soldiers from receiving an appropriate punishment. It is feared that such a process cannot be relied upon to ensure the accountability needed in this case.
He hopes that the legal process that is undertaken will provide full transparency, in line with the expectations of the public and the rights of civilians.
Manto also criticised the explanation given by TNI Commander General Agus Subiyanto who said the incident occurred due to provocation by a motorcycle gang that did not accept being reprimanded by the soldiers. This is considered to be a justification for the soldiers conducting a unilateral sweep of the village.
"If the TNI members saw or know about the presence of a motorcycle gang that was creating unease and disturbing the community, then the TNI members should have reported it to the police, not acting brutally by attacking the residents. Members of the TNI are not allowed to take unilateral action outside the law", explained Manto.
In addition to demanding justice for the victims, the Coalition also highlighted the importance of revising the law on military courts. They believe that Law Number 31/1997 is no longer in line with the principles of democracy that demand legal transparency and accountability for all citizens, including military personnel.
The existing military justice system, according to the Coalition, is more often used as a means of ensuring impunity for soldiers who violate the law, thus encouraging acts of violence to be repeated.
The justice expected by the public is not just meeting the legal rights of the victims, but also as an effort to create a sense of security. By bringing this case before a general court, the public hopes that there will be no more arbitrary violence by TNI soldiers against civilians.
The Coalition asserted that reform of military justice is a crucial step to ensure the protection of civil rights under laws that are fair and transparent.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Koalisi Sipil Desak Anggota TNI Terlibat Penyerangan di Deli Serdang Diadili Terbuka".]
