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House wants Airmen held responsible for Sari Rejo
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CCTV footage shows Indonesian Air Force personnel committing acts of violence during a clash with Sari Rejo residents in Medan, North Sumatra, on Monday. (JP/Apriadi Gunawan)
H
ouse of Representatives members have said that Air Force personnel committed acts of violence in Sari Rejo, Medan, North Sumatra, and should be punished.
The House’s Commission I, which oversees military and defense affairs, reached that conclusion after visiting Sari Rejo and receiving first-hand information from residents, including those purportedly assaulted by the airmen.
Commission I deputy chairperson Meutya Hafid said her side had received various reports of violence allegedly committed by Air Force personnel against residents and journalists and had crosschecked the allegations in Sari Rejo.
“Acts of violence indeed took place there. When there is a violation, there should also be a punishment. This is what we are fighting for,” Meutya told reporters after meeting residents and victims of the violence.
Thirteen members of the commission visited a number of locations, including two mosques, namely Al Hasanah Mosque on Jl. Teratai and Silaturahim Mosque on Jl. Antariksa, where CCTV cameras recorded what appeared to be soldiers committing violence.
Commission members received reports on the soldiers’ alleged brutal acts from the mosques’ caretakers.
“The Indonesian Military members are worse than robbers. They damaged mosque facilities and persecuted innocent congregation members. Please launch legal proceedings on this incident,” Qofar Ismail of Al Hasanah Mosque urged the commission.
Rizky, a member of the mosque, said he had just finished his afternoon prayer when a soldier dragged him out of the mosque and some 30 soldiers swarmed over him.
“I was repeatedly beaten on my back and head with sticks. I suffered fractures on the back of my head,” Rizky told commission members.
Sari Rejo Community Forum (Formas) chairman Pahala Napitupulu said a child was also among the victims.
“A five-year-old boy was also persecuted by the Air Force personnel. Where was their conscience?” asked Pahala, while showing the boy with a scar on the back of his head to the commission members.
Meutya said all the information would be brought to the commission for deliberation. She said the commission would also summon Air Force leadership to process the violence allegedly committed by airmen.
“The House of Representatives does not have the authority to impose penalties, but Commission I can press the commander to hand down firm punishments, up to dismissals,” Meutya said.
Meanwhile, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) recently published the results of its investigation into the Sari Rejo violence. Komnas HAM issued a number of recommendations, including asking the Indonesian Military (TNI) commander and Air Force chief of staff to uphold discipline, try the case in military courts and uphold the ethics code in the face of soldiers committing violence against residents and journalists.
As reported earlier, hundreds of Medan Soewondo Air Force personnel were involved in a brawl with Sari Rejo residents who had protested against the construction of military apartments on a disputed 260-hectare plot of land in Sari Rejo on Aug. 15.
Dozens of locals and a number of journalists reportedly sustained injuries at the hands of the airmen. A female journalist was reportedly sexually harassed by an individual airman.
