Armed Military Personnel Dismiss Public Reading Event in Bandung

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Members of the Siliwangi III/Siliwangi Military Command (Kodam) have allegedly dismissed a book fair held by the Street Library Community in Bandung on Saturday night August 20, 2016.

One of the Street Library Community activists Indra, 28, said that military personnel committed acts of violence in dismissing the book fair. Indra revealed that three activists was beaten by military personnel who admitted that they were with Kodam III Siliwangi and the Military Police.

"We're having a regular book fair on a weekly basis at 11 PM [Western Indonesia Time] before a group of military personnel on two trucks, a military police vehicle, and a car carrying undercover personnel suddenly came," Indra told journalists at the Bandung Legal Aid Institute (LBH) on Monday, August 22, 2016.

According to Indra, some of the personnel carried rifles and blunt weapons, and were attacking some of the activists  present in the event.

Indra expressed his disappointment towards the incident because he considered that a book fair was a positive activity and did not disrupt public order.

"I'm confused. We used public facilities. We didn't even block the pedestrian sidewalk," Indra said.

Kodam III Siliwangi spokesperson Col. M. Desy Arianto confirmed that military personnel had dismissed the event. However, Arianto claimed that the move was carried out to anticipate the emergence of motorcycle gangs.

"We're afraid that such a night gathering would trigger [public] to conduct negative things. Let's be logical, why did they read in a dark place?" Arianto explained.

IQBAL T. LAZUARDI S