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Indonesian Outrage Over ‘Live Bullets Madness’
Farouk Arnaz, Nivell Rayda & Susilo Wardhani | October 12, 2010

Indonesian police are to be granted the right to carry and fire live ammunition in riots to quell disorder. Human rights groups say this will open the floodgates of human rights abuse cases. (Reuters Photo/Crack Palinggi) Indonesian police are to be granted the right to carry and fire live ammunition in riots to quell disorder. Human rights groups say this will open the floodgates of human rights abuse cases. (Reuters Photo/Crack Palinggi)
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SirAnthonyKnown-Bender
6:22pm Oct 12, 2010

Just making clear an implicit truism inherent in democracies the world over: "To protect the minority of the opulent against the majority." (James Madison)


diggah
5:59pm Oct 12, 2010

This law undermines the prospect of an Indonesian Democracy, now survival of Christians, Bhuddists, Amayis is tentative, as these faiths are now endangered species.

The FPI and like organisations must be delighted as General Timur has already stated his willingness to use these extremists to establish his version of 'Law and Order'. These factors will create anarchy and a destabilising effect on the fledgling Democratic Republic of Indonesia.

What is SBY up to? Is this a long term coup plan to return Indonesia to the Industrial/Military oligarchy.


peterR
5:50pm Oct 12, 2010

If I was one for conspiracy theories, I would say all that it happening at the moment; the installation of a less than nice person as a police chief; hasty new regulation allowing police to shoot demonstrators; building links and cooperation with extremists, criminal gangs and thugs, and seemingly full control over the President, are moves by the police, and friends, in preparation to take over the country by force. But that could never happen.......could it?

Massones
4:40pm Oct 12, 2010

And this bill was PASSED?? Total police control over Indonesia is what this is all about in a nutshell. God help us all.

And where was SBY? Nowhere to be found as usual.

tempodulu
3:56pm Oct 12, 2010

Madness. Start killing protesters - which will inevitably happen if they use live rounds - and full scale riots can break out. Have they already forgotten May 1998?

Jakarta. Human rights activists on Monday objected to a new National Police regulation allowing officers to use live ammunition to control anarchic situations.

“This regulation is madness. It does not minimize police’s excessive use of force but instead increases police brutality further,” said Poengky Indarti, executive secretary of the Indonesian Human Rights Monitor (Imparsial).

The new regulation, issued by outgoing National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri, allows police officers to used live bullets to handle rioters when they become uncooperative and start attacking officers.

However, officers are only allowed to shoot to immobilize, not to kill.

“This new regulation, number 1/X/2010, signed last Friday, which was already distributed nationwide, will guide our officers in the field to act firmly against an anarchy group,” National Police Deputy Spokesman Brig. Gen. Untung Ketut Yoga said.

When asked whether the regulation was in response to recent violent attacks on religious minorities by Islamic hard-liners, such as the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), Untung said: “[It is] for any group that commits anarchy. This new regulation hopefully will eliminate our officers’ doubts in handling anarchy because they were worried before about violating human rights.”

In a hearing before the House of Representatives in August, several ministers and top officials dealing with political, legal and security affairs agreed to push for law enforcers to act firmly against any organization disturbing public order.

They included Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto, Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali, Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi, State Intelligence Agency Chief Sutanto, and Bambang.

In the latest case of anarchy, two rival gangs fought each other late last month with firearms and machetes in a pitched street battle in front of a court building in South Jakarta.

Three people were killed and a dozen injured, including three police officers with gunshot wounds.

Utung said the police worked “closely” with the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) while making the regulation. But Kontras deputy chairman Indria Fernida said the police had merely solicited input.

“It is not like police showed us the final draft and asked if the regulation was okay,” she told the Jakarta Globe.

Imparsial’s Poengky said police should be discouraged from using live ammunition to counter rioters and called for the long-overdue implementation of the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.

The principles, enacted on Sept. 7, 1990, stipulate the need for non-lethal weapons to counter riots and brawls and for the government to ensure that abusive use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials is punished as a criminal offense.

“Police need to focus more on preventive measures,” Poengky said.

Imparsial said in June that there have been a least 135 cases of the police using force excessively since 2005. Last week, police in Wamena, Papua, shot and killed three civilians during a brawl.

In September, police in Buol, Central Sulawesi, fired shots into a crowd of protesters, killing five people and wounding 23.