Police in Involved Hundreds of Human Rights Violations: Kontras
27 December 2013 20:16 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) accused police officers of being behind up to 709 cases of human rights violations, resulting in at least 4,569 civilians as victims.
Kontras coordinator Haris Azhar stated the number of cases revolving around human rights violations has drastically increased compared to the last two years.
Cases involving the police as perpetrators mostly revolved around the exploitation of natural resources, freedom of religion, and the abuse of power.
From January to August, over 115 cases of violence revolving around the exploitation of natural resources was reported, most of which was done by the National Army (TNI), said Haris.
Police were also reported to have abused their power of using weapons, reaching over 147 cases, including misfiring their guns, intimidation, and excessive force.
The National Police’s counterterrorism squad, Densus 88, was also reportedly involved in 29 cases of human rights violations, including using excessive force when apprehending suspects.
KHAIRUL ANAM
