Shela Octavia, Dani Prabowo, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid says that security forces and law enforcement officials who are negligent resulting in the death of civilians must face criminal punishments, not just ethical sanctions.
Hamid conveyed this in response to the shooting of two civilians by a Navy (TNI AL) officer at the Tangerang-Merak toll road rest area on Thursday January 2.
"The negligence by [law enforcement] officials that leads to the death of civilians must be criminally accountable and not only stop in the ethical domain", said Hamid in a statement on Tuesday January 7.
Hamid said that the actions of the Cinangka Sectoral Police (Polsek) in Banten, who refused a request by the victim and the car rental team to assist them in pursuing the stolen rental car, which was in the hands of several Navy officers, should also be given serious attention by the National Police (Polri).
"Polri's negligence in preventing the shooting on January 2, 2025 must also be given serious attention by the police as an institution", added Hamid.
With regard to this case and a number of other extrajudicial killings which are still widespread, Amnesty is urging the government and the House of Representatives (DPR) reform the military justice system by revising Military Court Law Number 31/1997.
"The perpetrators must be tried through general courts rather than military courts whose processes tend to be closed and not transparent. Therefore, we urge the government and the House of Representatives to immediately reform the military justice system by revising Military Court Law Number 31/1997", added Hamid.
Hamid said that revisions to this law must ensure that violations of general criminal law committed by military personnel can be processed through general courts, in accordance with the mandate of TNI Law Number 34/2004.
"Only with this move can we ensure real justice for victims and an end the prolonged impunity", Hamid reiterated.
As has been reported, the tragic shooting that resulted in the loss of life occurred at the Kilometre 45 rest area on the Tangerang-Merak toll road in Jakarta on Thursday January 2 at 4.30 am.
The incident took the life of Ilyas Abdurrahman (48), the owner of a car rental company, who was shot in the chest and arm. Meanwhile, Ramli Abu Bakar (59), a member of the Indonesian Car Rental Association (ARMI), was seriously injured by a bullet wound to the stomach.
Navy Commander Vice Admiral Denih Hendrata said that First Sergeant AA, one of the officers who was involved in the case, did indeed always carry a firearm because he was an adjutant.
"The weapon was an inventoried weapon that was carried because the position of A (First Sergeant AA) is as an ADC [aide de camp], and adjutant, so when he's given an assignment it's SOP [standard operating procedure] that a weapon is carried", Hendrata said at a press conference on Monday January 6.
However it has still not been explained who the other Navy officers were accompanying him and whether First Sergeant AA is still active as an adjutant.
Ilyas Abdulrahman's son Rizky Agam S says that he is disappointed in the Cinangka Sectoral Police, saying that they had asked for assistance to track down the stolen car that had been rented out by his father. But the police refused to help.
"This is very difficult to talk about. So we asked for help from the Cinangka Polsek to accompany me even though the car was only 200 meters away from Polsek", said Rizky at the Mekarsari Park public cemetery (TPU) in Rajeg, Tangerang regency, on Thursday evening.
He explained that they specifically asked for assistance from the Cinangka Polsek because he had learned that the perpetrators carried firearms.
Therefore, he and his team, including the two victims, went to the Cinangka Polsek to ask for help. The request was also conveyed to the Cinangka Polsek Police Chief (Kapolsek) Deputy Police Commissioner Asep Iwan Kurniawan, but it was still rejected.
"So the officers who were on duty that night also phoned the Cinangka Kapolsek but still the Kapolsek was unwilling to accompany us to go and get the car", Rizky said.
The justification for this was because the victim had not yet made out a police report regarding the problem he was experiencing. Not only that, Rizky said the Cinangka Polsek even thought they were leasing the car that they had their eyes on.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Kasus Penembakan Bos Rental Mobil, Amnesty: Harus Dipertanggungjawabkan Secara Pidana".]
