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Police criticized for inaction in lead up to activist's death

Jakarta Post - October 5, 2015

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Jakarta – A team of House members have alleged that the Lumajang Police did not respond correctly to threats received by Samsul, or Salim Kancil, a 52-year-old villager from Pasirian district, Lumajang, who was beaten to death for organizing a protest last week.

Arsul Sani, from the House of Representatives Commission III, which oversees legal affairs, human rights and security said on Monday that "the Lumajang police had failed to give sufficient attention to the threats received by Salim Kancil and his colleague, Tosan, and their group", as quoted by Antara news agency in Jakarta.

He further said there was a sense that local administrators had been conniving with the illegal sand miners for more than two years.

Arsul said the team also learnt that Salim Kancil was not only an activist fighting to protect beaches in his village from environmental damage, but a victim of damaging practises.

"Pak Kancil is also the owner of paddy fields that have been destroyed and cannot be cultivated anymore due to sand mining conducted by his village's head and others, known as Team 12," the lawmaker said.

Arsul said that Commission III had asked the East Java Police to take over the investigation of Salim Kancil's murder case and look into not only his murder and torture but also to environmental damages occurring.

The politician further said that police should expand their investigation to include possible money laundering by the village head, Haryono.

"There is suspicion that Haryono could do as much large scale sand mining as he pleased because he shared his earnings from the illegal activity with certain parties," said Arsul.

He said the East Java Police should investigate the alleged money laundering and give "justice collaborator" status to any party who agreed to disclose alleged bribery practices surrounding Salim Kancil's death case.

A group of people assaulted Salim Kancil, who had co-organized a protest against invasive sand mining in his village. The same group also assaulted another villager, Tosan, 51, leaving him in a critical condition. (ebf)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/10/05/police-criticized-inaction-lead-activist-s-death.html.