T

he families of two men killed by the Jakarta Police have demanded that their deaths be properly investigated, after the police engaged in a policy of shoot-on-sight ahead of the 2018 Asian Games, which resulted in 11 deaths.

The police launched a month-long operation, in which they targeted street criminals, particularly muggers and motorcycle thieves, in order to secure Jakarta as the host city of the multisports event.

Bobi Susanto, 25, and Dedi Kusuma, 33, were shot dead in Cengkareng, West Jakarta, and Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, respectively, in the course of the operation, which took place from July 3 to Aug. 3. Bobi was accused of stealing a passerby’s handbag while Dedi was shot as police tried to arrest him for attempting to steal a motorcycle. The police said the men, just like the other suspected criminals who were killed, had resisted arrest.

However, their families found inconsistencies in the accounts of their deaths. Represented by the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta), the families tried to file a complaint with the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) on Tuesday. “We want to make a report because we suspect criminal acts occurred during the crackdown,” LBH Jakarta lawyer Arif Maulana said on Wednesday.

The family was informed that Bobi had died after having previously been told that he had been taken alive to Cengkareng Police station. The family also said they had been unable to conduct an autopsy and that police had given the family Rp 5 million (US$336) to conduct tahlilan (prayers for the dead), as well as to buy a new motorcycle for Bobi’s wife, Arif said.

As for Dedi, Arif said that he had been shot in the chest while reportedly resisting arrest. However, LBH Jakarta questioned the police statement as Dedi suffered from elephantiasis that caused him to limp, thus it was unlikely that he could fight with police officers, Arif said.

Both Cengkareng Police chief Comr. Khoiri and Kemayoran Police chief Comr. Saiful Anwar denied any wrongdoing.

The families’ reports to Bareskrim, however, were rejected by the police, who suggested the families file their report with the police’s internal affairs division (Propam).

“Propam is in charge of conducting internal investigations and assessments. Therefore, the report should be filed with Propam,” National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Dedi Prasetyo said on Wednesday.

Despite outcry from activists about the policy, Dedi insisted that the shootings had been conducted in accordance with police procedures. Members of the police followed the 2009 National Police Chief regulation on the shoot-on-sight policy, which upheld human-rights values.

Nonetheless, the families still intend to report the cases to Bareskrim, as well as Propam, believing that “this is more than just about ethical or disciplinary violations”, Arief said.

They would also take their case to the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) and the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) for further action.

Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Idham Azis ordered his officers in July prior to the Asian Games to shoot criminals on sight to prevent street crime and to ensure security. The order came following a series of robberies in the capital.

In the operation, the police rounded up some 5,000 people, of whom 700 were named suspects. Besides the 11 people killed in the crackdowns, 41 also suffered gunshot wounds to their legs.

Fearing that the police’s policy could lead to abuse, LBH Jakarta opened a post dedicated to gathering reports from families whose relatives had been affected by the operation. Five families reported alleged extrajudicial killings, but only two agreed to proceed with criminal reports.

Amnesty International recorded at least 77 people who died in police shootings in relation to street crime across Indonesia from January to August as police beefed up security ahead of the Asian Games including in Jakarta and Palembang, South Sumatra. The number was an increase from 47 people shot dead in the same period last year.