| Home > South-East Asia >> Indonesia | |
Indonesia: Police and Army attack residents protesting airport expansion
Asian Human Rights Commission Urgent Appeal - March 7, 2016
Dear Friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information provided by Yogyakarta Legal Aid (LBH Yogyakarta) regarding a vicious attack and abuse of power conducted by the Indonesian police, the Civil Service Police Unit (Satpol PP), and the Army against local residents who have refused to cooperate with the government in its plan to build a new Airport in Kulon Progo Regency, Yogyakarta Province.
Case narrative:
On 16 February 2016, approximately 1,000 personnel of the Army, Police, and Satpol PP were on guard for the boundary making exercise conducted by the National Land Agency (BPN) in Kulon Progo Regency. The Adjunct Senior Commissioner (AKBP) and Chief of Kulon Progo Police Resort, Djunadi S.I.K led the police officers overseeing the boundary making, while the local army commander led the presence of the army men.
The authorities did not show any willingness to have a dialogue with local residents, who gathered and objected to the boundary making exercise. The residents claimed that the marking had entered residential land. The local residents were then subjected to a violent and brutal attack. They were punched and kicked, and were intimidated in various ways by the Army and police. Children of residents were trampled upon when police dispersed the people gathered.
The police and Army men also choked local residents; as a result, some of them fainted. Further, the police destroyed property belonging to local farmers, such as motorcycles and chili seed plants in the yards. One woman was also force shackled in handcuffs by the police. The citizens cried out and could not believe the brutal attack and inhuman treatment that had unfolded.
Expansion of the Airport in Kulon Progo Regency is part of the government's ambitious national project under the Master Plan for Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia's Economic Development (MP3EI). Launched in 2011, it is a project with great potential for rights violations. Therefore, in order to support this project, the government has sought to apply the National Law No. 2 of 2012 on Land Procurement in the Public Interest.
This brutal attack conducted by the State apparatus proves that the government has no goodwill to set up a peaceful dialogue with local residents concerning the plan to expand the Airport. The government has preferred to deploy excessive force and use violence to grab the land from local residents.
Additional information:
On behalf of national development, security forces have frequently been deployed to attack and intimidate residents or local indigenous people who defend their land and property. Many land disputes have triggered human rights violations, because of a lack of law enforcement and control upon the security forces that abuse their power.
Suggested action:
Please write to the authorities listed below, asking them to ensure that comprehensive investigation is undertaken to prosecute officers in the State apparatus that brutally attacked and harassed local residents. Furthermore, the government has to ensure remedy for victims and must avoid land confiscation to expand the Airport.
The AHRC will write a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression and the Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment calling for their intervention into this matter.
To support this case, please click here: http://www.urgentappeals.net/support.php?ua=AHRC-UAC-018-2016
Sample letter:
Dear ....................,
Indonesia: Police and Army attack residents protesting airport expansion
The authorities did not show any willingness to have a dialogue with local residents, who gathered and objected to the boundary making exercise. The residents claimed that the marking had entered residential land. The local residents were then subjected to a violent and brutal attack. They were punched and kicked, and were intimidated in various ways by the Army and police. Children of residents were trampled upon when police dispersed the people gathered.
The police and Army men also choked local residents; as a result, some of them fainted. Further, the police destroyed property belonging to local farmers, such as motorcycles and chili seed plants in the yards. One woman was also force shackled in handcuffs by the police. The citizens cried out and could not believe the brutal attack and inhuman treatment that had unfolded.
Expansion of the Airport in Kulon Progo Regency is part of the government's ambitious national project under the Master Plan for Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia's Economic Development (MP3EI). Launched in 2011, it is a project with great potential for rights violations. Therefore, in order to support this project, the government has sought to apply the National Law No. 2 of 2012 on Land Procurement in the Public Interest.
This brutal attack conducted by the State apparatus proves that the government has no goodwill to set up a peaceful dialogue with local residents concerning the plan to expand the Airport. The government has preferred to deploy excessive force and use violence to grab the land from local residents.
Therefore, I respectfully request you to ensure that a comprehensive investigation is undertaken to prosecute Sate officers in charge of the attack against local residents.
Furthermore, the government has to provide a remedy for victims and avoid confiscating their land to expand the Airport.
I look forward to your prompt action in this matter.
Yours Sincerely,
...................
Please send your letters to:
1. Mr. Joko Widodo
President of
the Republic of Indonesia
Jl. Veteran No.
16
Jakarta Pusat
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 3458
595
Fax: +62 21 3484
4759
E-mail: webmaster@setneg.go.id
2. Mr. Yasonna
Laoly
Minister of Law
and Human Rights
Jl. HR Rasuna
Said Kav. 6 – 7
Kuningan, Jakarta
12940
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 525
3006, 525 3889
Fax: +62 21 525
3095
3. Dr. Mualimin
Abdi SH., MH
Director General
of Human Rights
Office of the
Director General of Human Rights
Jl. HR Rasuna
Said Kav. 6 – 7
Kuningan, Jakarta
12940
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 5253006
Fax: +62 21 5253095
4. General Badroedin
Haiti
Chief of National
Police (KAPOLRI)
Jl. Trunojoyo
No. 3 Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan 12110
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 384
8537, 726 0306
Fax: +62 21 7220
669
E-mail: info@polri.go.id
5. Mr. Luhut Binsar
Panjaitan
Chairperson National
Police Commission
Jl. Tirtayasa
VII No. 20
Kebayoran Baru,
Jakarta Selatan
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 739
2315
Fax: +62 21 739
2352
E-mail: secretariat@kompolnas.go.id,
skm@kompolnas.go.id
6. Professor.
Amzulian Rifai S.H, LL.M, PhD
Chairperson of
Ombudsman of Republic of Indonesia
Jl. HR. Rasuna
Said Kav. C-19 Kuningan (Gedung Pengadilan TIPIKOR) Jakarta Selatan
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 52960894/95
Fax: +62 21-52960904/05
7. General Gatot
Nurmantyo
Chief of Indonesian
Military
Mabes TNI Cilangkap
Jakarta Timur
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 84595576,
+62 21 8459-5326
Fax: + 62 21
84591193
Email: ppidtni@puspen.tni.mil.id
8. Mr. Mahfudz
Siddiq
Chairperson of
the Commission one of the House of Representative [DPR]
Gedung Nusantara
II DPR RI, Lt I
Jalan Jenderal
Gatot Subroto, Jakarta,
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 5715.520,
+62 21 5715.518/581
Fax: +62 21 5715.
328/+62 21 571 5687
Email: bag_pengaduan@dpr.go.id
9. Dr. HM. Azis
Syamsuddin, SH
Chairperson of
the Commission III of The House of Representative
Ketua Komisi
III DPR RI
Gedung Nusantara
II DPR RI, Lt I
Jalan Jenderal
Gatot Subroto, Jakarta,
INDONESIA
Telp: +62 21
-5715566, +62 21-5715569, +62 21-5715864
Fax: +62 21 5715566
10. Mr. Abdul
Haris Semendawai
Chairperson of
the Agency for Victims and Witness Protection
Lembaga Perlindungan
Sakdi dan Korban (LPSK)
JL. Proklamasi
No 56 Jakarta Pusat 10320
Tel: +62 21 31907021
Fax: +62 21 3190606/+62
21 31927881
11. Mr. Nur Kholis
Chairperson National
Human Rights Commission
Jl. Latuharhary
No. 4-B
Jakarta 10310
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 392
5227-30
Fax: +62 21 392
5227
E-mail: info@komnas.go.id
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals
Programme
Asian Human Rights
Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
Source: http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-017-2016.
See also:
 |
Indonesia Indoleft Archive Indonesia links Indonesia News Digest News services on Indonesia Publications & videos on Indonesia Reports & articles on Indonesia Statements & press releases on Indonesia