Komnas HAM Finds Evidence of Abuses in Kampung Pulo Riots

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said that it has found several human rights abuses cases that occurred during the demolition of the illegal houses on the banks of Ciliwung River in Kampung Pulo - stating that the actions of officers involved in the operation as 'repressive' and 'inhumane'.

"Based on our preliminary findings, we found several incidents of abuses by security officials. An innocent civilian was held in custody by Public Order Officers (Satpol PP) - we are holding our own investigation into the matter, and we've received reports of several other human rights abuses," said Muhammad Nurkhoiron, a Komnas HAM Commissioner during a press conference on Monday, August 24, 2015.

Komnas HAM stated that it has yet to be able to determine the cause of the clashes in Kampung Pulo - but residents accounts said that security officials was to blame. "They said that security officials were the ones who started the whole thing - and we are calling witnesses to come forward to aid with the investigation," said Nurkhoiron.

The Head of the Jakarta Residents' Forum (FAKTA) Azas Tigor Nainggolang, have also come forward to criticise the Jakarta Administration's decision to deploy security officials in the normalization project. "More than 2,000 officials were dispatched - despite the fact that there were only 300 residents who decided to stay behind," he said.

"We also have reasonable accounts that the officials deployed are members of a special task force assembled by Jakarta Police," said Azas.

Azas also proclaimed the arrest of 27 people who were suspected of rioting as 'arbitrary'. "They were held for no reasonable grounds - and some were beat up in custody," he said.

It is known that a clash broke out in Kampung Pulo on August 20, 2015, where 27 people were taken into custody, and 13 people were injured in the clash.

NIBRAS NADA NAILUFAR