Wadas Incident; IPW Asks for Removal of Central Java Police Chief

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) opined that the intimidation done by the authorities in Wadas Village, Purworejo, Central Java was included as a human rights violation.

"Human Rights Law strictly stipulates that an individual's arrest should not be done arbitrarily. As stated in Article 34, no one shall be arrested, detained, tortured, exiled, or disposed of arbitrarily," said IPW chief, Sugeng Teguh Santoso, in a written statement on Saturday, Feb. 12.

Sugeng said that Central Java Police had proven to violate the Article by detaining around 60 innocent people of Wadas Village, even though they were freed on the next day. This incident created a public uproar.

IPW also said that the Central Java Police violated the criminal code. "While they understand that to arrest someone, [the authorities] must go through a procedure regulated in the law," Sugeng explained.

In conducting an arrest, the police members must own a letter of assignment and an arrest warrant. "Every police member must conduct their duties professionally, proportionally, and based on the procedure," he added.

Therefore, IPW asked the National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit to discharge Central Java Regional Police Chief and Purworejo Resort Police Chief from their positions.

"IPW suggests the DPR create a special committee for Wadas human rights violation and a thorough investigation by Komnas HAM (national commission on human rights). This needs to be done for the improvement in the National Police institution in the future so that it is loved by the community, " he remarked.

Read: Komnas HAM Granted Access to Investigate Wadas Project: Govt

Moh Khory Alfarizi