Attack on Kebumen protesters was ‘self-defense’: TNI
The Indonesian Military (TNI) said it was an act of self-defense when soldiers injured at least seven residents of Kebumen, Central Java, in a riot at the local TNI Headquarterson Saturday.
TNI spokesman Col. Dedy Agus Purwoko said “persuasive and procedural” approaches had been attempted regarding locals’ protests against TNI training in Sentrojenar village in Kebumen.
“We’ve conceded by moving the training to another location, but the residents continued their protests and staged rallies in front of the headquarters.
“They paid no heed [to the approaches] and forcibly tried to break in to the headquarters,” he said on Sunday as quoted by kompas.com.
Dedy said the protesters had cut off tree branches and piled them in front of the headquarters’ entrance to block road access while trying to force their way in.
“This is not about reacting excessively or not, but our headquarters were under attack and about to be intruded upon by force, so we had to defend ourselves.”
Dedy added that, although the Kebumen office was home to the TNI research and development agency, there were also warehouses storing munitions in the complex that had to be guarded.
Seven protesters were admitted to the Kebumen Hospital after the clash after suffering bruises from rubber bullets the TNI fired.
The Indonesian Military (TNI) said it was an act of self-defense when soldiers injured at least seven residents of Kebumen, Central Java, in a riot at the local TNI Headquarterson Saturday.
TNI spokesman Col. Dedy Agus Purwoko said “persuasive and procedural” approaches had been attempted regarding locals’ protests against TNI training in Sentrojenar village in Kebumen.
“We’ve conceded by moving the training to another location, but the residents continued their protests and staged rallies in front of the headquarters.
“They paid no heed [to the approaches] and forcibly tried to break in to the headquarters,” he said on Sunday as quoted by kompas.com.
Dedy said the protesters had cut off tree branches and piled them in front of the headquarters’ entrance to block road access while trying to force their way in.
“This is not about reacting excessively or not, but our headquarters were under attack and about to be intruded upon by force, so we had to defend ourselves.”
Dedy added that, although the Kebumen office was home to the TNI research and development agency, there were also warehouses storing munitions in the complex that had to be guarded.
Seven protesters were admitted to the Kebumen Hospital after the clash after suffering bruises from rubber bullets the TNI fired.
