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Public pressure key to solving Yogya journo's murder: Sociologist
A Gadjah Mada University sociologist has said that applying public pressure on the police was the key to solving the murder of Bernas daily journalist Fuad Muhammad âUdinâ Syafruddin, which has remained unsolved for 17 years
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Gadjah Mada University sociologist has said that applying public pressure on the police was the key to solving the murder of Bernas daily journalist Fuad Muhammad 'Udin' Syafruddin, which has remained unsolved for 17 years.
'Our democratic political system enables the public to pressure the law enforcement institution to solve the case,' sociologist Arie Sujito said during in a discussion organized by right activists in Yogyakarta on Friday.
Pressure for the police to solve the case has been applied by activists for 17 years, but Friday's solidarity action had a stronger emphasis this year, considering that the statute of limitations for unsolved crimes is 18 years as stipulated in the Criminal Code.
'The public actually already knows who killed Udin, but the police don't dare solve the case because our law still serves those in power,' the sociologist said, adding that public pressure was a powerful tool to eliminate the culture of impunity that thrived in Indonesia.
Udin was beaten by an unidentified person(s) at his house in Bantul, Yogyakarta, on Aug. 13, 1996, and died at Yogyakarta Bethesda Hospital three days later without regaining consciousness.
As a journalist, Udin was known for his reports on abuses of authority allegedly committed by then regent Sri Roso.
Udin wrote a report about Sri Roso allegedly bribing the Dharmais Foundation (owned by then president Soeharto) to be reelected as the Bantul regent. (hrl)
