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Editorial: Violence during Ramadhan
"Between saying and doing, many pairs of shoes are worn out,” goes an Italian proverb
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"Between saying and doing, many pairs of shoes are worn out,” goes an Italian proverb. The adage fits perfectly toward understanding what has been happening in the country, just a week into the holy month of Ramadhan.
Appeals by religious leaders and security authorities that Indonesians, particularly Muslims, should exercise restraint during the fasting month have apparently fallen onto deaf ears, as acts of violence have already erupted in some parts of the country. Worse is the fact that disobedience, or perhaps ignorance, to such calls have also been committed by the security authorities themselves.
One example was the violent raid of a café in Pesanggrahan, South Jakarta, by a mob of more than 100 people on Saturday evening, undermining the city police’s vow to ban raids during the holy month.
A police report showed that the mob ransacked De Most café at around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday. South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Imam Sugianto said the mob had previously visited two other cafés, only to find both cafés were closed.
A number of the mob’s members were arrested by the police while they were on their way from De Most café to another location. The police say that they have named 23 individuals, including two teenagers, as suspects in the attack on the café, and the assault upon its employees, after previously detaining as many as 62 people in the case.
The Jakarta Police have said on July 16 that they would prohibit mass organizations from conducting raids on the city’s nightlife and entertainment venues during Ramadhan.
The previous day (Friday), hundreds of the Police’s Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers allegedly shot at civilians in Limbung Jaya village in Ogan Ilir regency, South Sumatra province, to prevent them from staging a demonstration. Amid the ensuing chaos, 12-year-old Angga bin Darmawan was fatally shot in the head.
The clash broke out when Brimob personnel were ransacking the homes of locals, looking for thieves who allegedly stole fertilizer from the warehouse of state-owned plantation firm, PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) VII Cinta Manis. Angered by the operation, locals responded by throwing rocks at the Brimob personnel, who retaliated by firing live rounds into the crowd.
Apart from the mobs’ disobedience to the Police-imposed ban on raids during Ramadhan, the violent raid in Jakarta on Saturday has highlighted lapses in the police’s attempts to safeguard residents in all parts of the capital city against any form of vigilantism. The case also showcased the poor performance of the Police’s Intelligence Unit in anticipating such violent actions, and alerting their fellow Brimob or Sabhara rapid response unit officers to take necessary preventive action.
Meanwhile, the shooting spree in Ogan Ilir was another display of the police’s failure to comply with their own Standard Service and Management Procedures (Protap), particularly those stationed in the regions across the country. The fact that the officers in Ogan Ilir used real bullets, instead of rubber ones, in dealing with such rioting, was one procedural mistake. Another mistake was the officers’ actions to direct their firearms toward the upper parts of the protesters’ land rioters’ bodies, instead of their calves.
All appeals for restraint during Ramadhan have been an annual ritual for all Indonesians and the Police’s Protap has been part and parcel of the officers’ duties and responsibilities. They should be familiar with it, and abide by it. Any sanctions against such violations should only be in the form of legal punishment.
