KontraS Records 622 Police Brutality Cases in Indonesia in the Past Year
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4 July 2023 19:34 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence or KontraS recorded 622 cases of violence involving police members in the July 2022-June 2023 period. They issued a report on the 77th anniversary of The National Police as a form of criticism towards the police's performance regarding human rights.
Fatia Maulidiyanti, KontraS Coordinator, stated that this report is a form of KontraS participation in the Security Sector Reform, especially the police reform. "This is in line with the mandate of reformation, as well as an effort to urge the National Police (Polri) to improve the institution in accordance with the standard of human rights and democracy," said Fatia in a written statement, on Tuesday, July 4, 2023.
The 622 recorded cases include 58 cases of police violence, 46 cases of arbitrary arrest, and 13 cases of tear gas incidents, some of which with casualties, as was the Kanjuruhan Incident back in October 2022. "It is an irony that the supposed protectors of civilians became the perpetrators," she said.
KontraS also noted 29 cases of extrajudicial killing which killed 41 people. Most of the recorded cases were of shootings. KontraS saw the authorization of the police to use firearms caused a violation of the right to life. They also recorded wrongful arrests along with torture that happened for the past year. "It needs to be underlined that the right to life and right not to be tortured are non-derogable rights," Fatia emphasized.
Fatia added that extrajudicial killings and torture are proof that the police are actors in human rights violations in Indonesia. From July 2020 until June 2023, various repressions towards civilians also occurred. At least 52 recorded cases of violence against protestors happened and injured 126 people with 207 arrested.
