Authorities Allegedly Assault Tempo Journalist Covering Jakarta DPR Protest

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian military (TNI) and police personnel allegedly attacked and threatened to kill a Tempo journalist who was covering today’s demonstration at the House of Representatives (DPR) in the Senayan Parliament Complex. The protest on Thursday, August 22, was held to defend a recent Constitutional Court (MK) ruling.

The violence erupted after protesters broke through the main gate of the DPR building from both sides. The journalist, identified by his initials H, was filming officers allegedly abusing a collapsed protester when he was assaulted.

"I recorded the protester, who was already limping, but the soldiers kept beating him," H said on Thursday, August 22

Three officers then grabbed H from different directions and demanded to know where he was from. When he identified himself as a Tempo journalist and showed his press credentials, the officers forced him to delete the video he had recorded but H refused.

Many more officers suddenly came to H and became more aggressive, threatening to kill H and punching him in the face and head. “Just kill him,” said one of them. One soldier also kicked H in the back as he was being taken to a security post.

At the post, a Provos police officer interrogated H and again demanded that he delete the recording. The officer released H only after he complied.

A Kompas journalist, W, witnessed the assault on H and tried to intervene, but was unable to stop the officers. "I saw H being kicked by a TNI officer in a military uniform when H was taken to the post," W told Tempo.

H sought medical attention at a hospital and was diagnosed with mild trauma. Doctors advised him to remain under observation for two days.

Eka Yudha Saputra

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