C

oncerns over the growing role of the Indonesian Military (TNI) in civilian affairs have emerged after a group of young people in Bandung, West Java, claimed they were assaulted by military personnel while running a makeshift library at night in the city’s downtown.

The attack on the young people happened amid the city administration’s extensive campaign to improve literacy through reading.

The violence came only days after punk rock band Superman Is Dead complained that TNI members were seen guarding their concert at a high school in Tabanan, Bali, and telling the students and other concert-goers not to display any signs opposed to a controversial reclamation project on the island.

The library incident was not the first as a similar crackdown by military personnel on the Perpustakaan Jalanan street library community occurred several weeks ago in the city.

“Such an authoritarian act threatens the civil life [in Bandung], not to mention that the Indonesian Military does not have any authority to launch crackdowns on civil activities,” Perpustakaan Jalanan activist Indra Saputra said.

It is alleged that three library activists were attacked by military personnel during a sweep on Saturday in Cikapayang Park, Bandung at 11 p.m.

Prior to the attack, the community had held its activities every weekend at the park since 2010.

“They brought firearms and rattan canes. As soon as they arrived they dispersed the crowd at the park while shouting rudely ‘disperse, disperse’,” Indra said, adding that during the raid, without reason, a plain-clothed TNI member had hit the three activists.

Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil lashed out at the military personnel for conducting the sweep and attacking the activists.

“We deeply regret the incident involving Perpustakaan Jalanan amid our efforts to increase literacy among local people,” Ridwan posted on his official twitter @ridwankamil on Tuesday.

Ridwan encouraged city residents not to be afraid to go out reading in public places following the incident and he expected that there would be no more crackdowns on civil activities in the future.

Lt. Col. Desi Ariyanto, a spokesman for the Siliwangi Military Command III in West Java, defended the raid, saying it was part of regular operations the military conducted to curb motorcycle gangs in West Java and Banten provinces

However, he said the community could file a report with the military police office in Bandung if they believed TNI members attacked activists during the incident.

Desi was confident that no such violence took place.

Desi further questioned the decision of Perpustakaan Jalanan to carry out activities at night in the badly lit park.

“Do we know the credibility of the books displayed? Are the books allowed or do they contain topics that are prohibited?,” Desi added.

Earlier this year, the TNI conducted a number of raids across the country to confiscate items related to communism.

Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy said the Bandung incident should be the opportunity for the government and the House of Representatives to push for revision of the TNI Law, especially the provisions on military courts, so that military members who committed general crimes could be tried at civil courts.

The legal process in military courts is neither transparent nor accountable, according to Setara, because it is not accessible to members of the public.

“TNI members committing general crimes frequently go unpunished because the law allows them privileges that make them untouchable by civil courts,” Setara deputy chairman Bonar Tigor Naipospos said.

TNI spokesman Maj. Gen. Tatang Sulaiman said the TNI headquarters in Jakarta had yet to hear about the assault case in Bandung. (fac)