TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Klaten residents refuse autopsy for alleged terrorist
The chairman of Muhammadiyah Youth Association, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak (left), scatters flowers on the tomb of alleged terrorist Siyono in Pogung village, Central Java
Change Size
T
span class="inline inline-center">The chairman of Muhammadiyah Youth Association, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak (left), scatters flowers on the tomb of alleged terrorist Siyono in Pogung village, Central Java. (Antara/Aloysius Jarot Nugroho)
The chairman of Muhammadiyah Youth Association, Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak (left), scatters flowers on the tomb of alleged terrorist Siyono in Pogung village, Central Java. (Antara/Aloysius Jarot Nugroho)
The local residents of Pogung Village in Klaten, Centra Java, have refused to allow a Muslim organization to open the tomb of Siyono, an alleged terrorist who died suspiciously under police custody. The residents claim that they do not wish for an autopsy to be conducted.
The residents of Pogung Village in the sub-district of Cawas in Klaten claim that Siyono's family previously provided a statement letter saying that they would not be requesting an autopsy.
While the family are entitled to proceed with the autopsy plan, the procedure must be conducted outside the Pogung area, Pogung Village chief Djoko Widoyo said, emphasizing that, in such a case, locals would not allow Siyono's body to be returned for burial in the village.
The villagers have threatened to expel Siyono's family from the village if they support the autopsy.
"This is a collective decision based on a joint meeting between the village administration and local public figures with RT [neighborhood] and RW [community] representatives last night," Djoko said on Wednesday.
The refusal is said to be based on a letter written by Siyono's family in which they are said to have requested protection from the village administration.
The family said they had let go of Siyono and would not request an autopsy on the dead body.
"Siyono's father asked local people to guard Siyono's tomb. So we refuse autopsy based on the mandate of Siyono's father," Djoko said.
The letter was written by Siyono's parents and his brothers, natives of the village, Djoko said.
However, Siyono's wife Suratmi went to the Yogyakarta branch of Muhammadiyah's central committee to ask for legal protection file and to file a report on the alleged abuse and the injustice her husband received at the hands of the police while he was under arrest.
Subsequent inquiries lead the country's second largest Muslim organization to request an autopsy, a plan supported by the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).
Djoko emphasized that Suratmi was not a Pogung native and had no right to make a decision with regard to the matter.
In hopes of assisting with the request for autopsy, Muhammadiyah Youth Association head Dahnil Anzar Simanjuntak said on Tuesday that he would travel to Yogyakarta to discuss the matter with Klaten PP Muhammadiyah chairman Busyro and Komnas HAM member Maneger Nasution.
Muhammadiyah had decided to uphold Siyono's rights, taken away by Densus 88 following his arrest in Klaten on March 8, Dahnil said on Tuesday.
Siyono died without clear cause of death after four days under police custody.
The National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti has ordered the National Police Internal Affairs Division to investigate the cause of death.
The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) suspect that the police tortured Siyono while he was detained in custody as Siyono's body had been returned to his family covered in blood and bruises. (afr/rin)
