JAKARTA: Indonesian police said they are investigating possible “intellectual actors”, financiers and individuals involved in mobilising participants of the Jakarta unrest on Aug 27 that left one man dead.
The police named 47 suspects over damage to public facilities and assaults during unrest outside the Parliament complex and in nearby Pejompongan, in central Jakarta.
“Although they appeared in separate groups, we suspect there was mobilisation,” Jakarta police criminal investigation director Iman Imanuddin told a police press conference on Wednesday (Sept 2).
In Indonesia, when demonstrations turn violent, police and the public have often questioned whether others were behind the unrest rather than the protesters themselves.
“Intellectual actors” is a term commonly used in Indonesia to refer to suspected masterminds behind an offence.
Three people were detained between the night of Sept 1 and the morning of Sept 2 for allegedly taking part in the destruction of government closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras outside Parliament, according to police.
Preliminary investigations found that those involved were aware that surveillance cameras were widely deployed across Jakarta and had sought to hamper the investigation by destroying or removing potential evidence, Iman said.
The Aug 27 demonstration began as an anti-corruption rally, with about 500 people travelling from Pati in Central Java to press Parliament to pass the long-delayed Asset Forfeiture Bill, which would give the authorities greater powers to seize assets linked to crime.
Representatives of the group met parliamentary leaders and most of its members had left by midday. Other protesters remained or arrived with broader grievances over jobs, living costs and government spending, before unrest later broke out.
“What happened in the unrest was not carried out by protesters. They were not protesters,” Iman said, referring to those who came later.
He said the demonstration had already ended when unidentified groups suddenly arrived and immediately damaged property, rather than voicing any demands.
Community group under probe over man’s death
Police are also investigating the death of a man whom they identified only by his initials, BS.
Indonesian news outlet Kompas.com identified him as Bambang Setiawan, a mirror seller who was attacked during the unrest in Pejompongan.
Investigators have questioned 14 witnesses and examined CCTV footage and social media videos. Police said they compared witness accounts with digital analysis to produce facial sketches of two men suspected of taking part in the assault that resulted in his death. Both men are estimated to be between 30 and 40 years old, and police are searching for them.
Questions have also arisen over the possible involvement of mass organisations after allegations circulated on social media linking GRIB Jaya, or the United Indonesian People’s Movement, to Bambang’s death.
The group was founded in 2012 by Rosario Marshal, better known as Hercules, whom The Jakarta Post has described as a notorious gang leader. GRIB has denied involvement.
In response to a reporter’s question on whether Bambang’s death was linked to a particular group and whether Rosario could be summoned for questioning, police said investigators had found no indication based on their investigation and witness testimony.
“We have not found any indication that the perpetrators were members of a particular community,” he said.
Jakarta police spokesman Budi Hermanto said mass organisations were permitted under Indonesian law to play a role in maintaining public order but could not assume police powers.
Indonesia’s National Commission on Human Rights, or Komnas HAM, an independent state body that monitors and investigates human rights issues, is separately investigating the handling of the Aug 27 protest, including allegations of violence during arrests.
Police said they had filed their own report into Bambang’s death as a proactive step to investigate what happened. His family declined an autopsy but agreed to a medical examination, whose results police said they had received.
Some of the more than 300 people initially detained have since been released after police found they were not linked to criminal offences. Those against whom police said there was sufficient evidence remain under investigation.
Police stressed that the right to demonstrate was protected under Indonesian law and said they could facilitate meetings between protesters and lawmakers. But they said they would not tolerate unlawful acts that disrupted public order or threatened people’s lives and safety. - The Straits Times/ANN
