Jakarta – Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) Advocacy Division Chairperson Zainal Arifin says that as of Wednesday March 26 there were 51 regions in Indonesia where demonstrations were held rejecting the TNI Law (UU TNI). Arifin said that protesters in 10 of the 51 regions suffered brutal repression by the authorities.
"(51) regions throughout Indonesia held demonstrations and in 10 of them violence was committed against the masses", said Arifin during an online press conference on Wednesday.
Arifin said there was a new pattern of violence committed by the authorities against demonstrators who reject the ratification of the TNI Law. He also suspects that the violence committed by the authorities this time round also involved military personnel or soldiers.
"It seems like the demonstrators were beaten without mercy, then taken to the hospital, then abandoned or even just brutally beaten and then abandoned", said Arifin.
"Today it seems that the military was also involved at several points and in several areas, where the demonstrators were beaten mercilessly and with such brutality", he added.
Furthermore, Arifin suspects that the military's involvement in securing the demonstration is an attempt to send a message to the public. According to him, this could be a sign that the military has returned to dealing with civilian matters.
"Hey, you civilians, the military's back, don't you play around. Don't mess around, I think this should also be taken like that", he said.
Contacted separately, TNI Information Centre (Kapuspen) head Brigadier General Kristomei Sianturi said that the TNI's role in dealing with demonstrations must be based on a request for assistance from the police or in the form of assistance duties under the control of the police.
"If there are soldiers who break the law, please report them, we will process them legally if they are truly proven to have broken [the law]", he told CNN Indonesia on Wednesday.
Meanwhile the National Police Headquarters (Mabes Polri) has yet to respond to the YLBHI's findings on violence by the authorities against protesters. CNN Indonesia has tried to contact Polri Public Relations Division Head Brigadier General Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko but they have yet to provide a response.
The Draft TNI Law (RUU TNI) was passed into law during a plenary meeting at the House of Representatives (DPR) on Thursday March 20. A wave of opposition to the revised TNI Law has continued to reverberate to this day. Civil society has criticised the regulation which they consider will revive the dwi-fungsi or dual function of the armed forces. (mab/tsa)
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "YLBHI: 51 Wilayah Demo Tolak UU TNI, Sebagian Alami Kekerasan Aparat".]
