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akarta: The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) has urged the National Police to look into alleged procedural violations committed by police officers during the recent fuel price rallies.

The alleged violations inflicted casualties among both the security forces and the demonstrators.

KontraS said there were 241 rallies from January to March, 69 of which involved violence and human rights violations.

“We recorded 13 rallies in January, all of which weren’t chaotic; 18 rallies in February with one college student beaten up by the police; and 183 rallies in March with 68 that went messy,” KontraS member David Fau said.

The watchdog also stated that 533 civilians were arrested in relation to the demonstrations, while 26 police officers, 15 journalists and four Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel were injured.

David said that the police had violated Article 7 of the Police Chief Regulation No.16/2006 on mob control. He said that the police had become irate and emotional when they were supposed to have maintained the peace.

The article stipulates that in controlling the demonstrators, the police are prohibited from throwing missiles at demonstrators, and beating demonstrators.

However, the police were seen violating the regulation by throwing stones back and beating demonstrators, as seen in various media broadcasts, the group said.

David also said that the police were too heavily armed during the rallies.

The KontraS chair division for advocacy and human rights, Sinung Karto, added that the four injured TNI personnel was proof of the military’s involvement in the crack down on the rallies. (/fzm)