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Rights groups renew call for reform amid growing reports of police brutality
Amnesty pointed out that the ongoing violence is fueled by a culture of impunity within the police force, and that without real accountability from police leadership, efforts to curb the violence will be futile.
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Fed up: Civil society activists and university students hold a banner that reads “Police reform“ (left) and “People's killer“ during a protest on Nov. 28, 2024, in front of the Central Java Police station in Semarang. (Antara/Aji Styawan)
H
uman rights organizations are calling on the government to implement "immediate" reforms to the police force in response to rising reports of police brutality against civilians in recent months.
Usman Hamid, executive director of Amnesty International Indonesia, stressed that the growing number of violent incidents involving officers should serve as a "serious alarm" for the national police to undergo a "thorough reformation".
"Police reform must involve systemic changes, not just revising regulations or improving training," he said in a recent statement.
He pointed out that the ongoing violence is fueled by a culture of impunity within the police force, and that without real accountability from police leadership, efforts to curb the violence will be futile.
"Unless there is a thorough evaluation by the President, the House of Representatives and the National Police Commission (Kompolnas), these cases will continue to happen," Usman warned.
Wrongful arrest
Usman's statement comes as the police face backlash for the wrongful arrest of 38-year-old Kusyanto from Grobogan, Central Java, who said he was detained by five police officers without an arrest warrant while he was out searching for snails on Sunday night.
