Ciracas Police Burning, LBH Jakarta: Harrassment of State Symbol

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Director of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Arif Maulana, said that the burning of the Ciracas Police Station by an angry mob on December 12, 2018, must be investigated completely. Because a police station is a state institution. The mob's action can be considered as a form of harassment of the state symbol.

"We, from the Civil Society Coalition, ask the police to investigate completely," Arif said at the Amnesty International Indonesia office on December 17, 2018.

The burning of the Ciracas Police Station was allegedly caused by the recent assault and battery of two TNI (Indonesian military) members in the parking area of the Arundina shopping center in Cibubur, Ciracas, East Jakarta on December 10, 2018.

The victims were a member of the Indonesian Naval Army Captain Agus Komarudin and a member of the First Private of Presidential Guard identified as Rivonanda.

The day after the assault, hundreds of people suspected as TNI members came to Ciracas Police station. They asked the police to release the suspects of beating. Because the request was not fulfilled, the mob damaged and burned down a number of facilities.

"If this case is not resolved, it will become a legal harassment in Indonesia," Arif said.

Currently, the police have arrested five suspects, namely Agus Pryantara (32 years old), Herianto Panjaitan (28), Iwan Hutapea (31) along with his wife Suci Ramdani (23), and Depi (35).

According to Arif, if the police cannot act decisively to arrest the perpetrators of the destruction of the Ciracas Police station, then the public will see that the law takes sides to the upper class.

IMAM HAMDI