President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has called on all parties to trust the National Police to thoroughly investigate the riots that occurred from May 21-22, 2019. In their investigation, the National Police could work with competent parties.
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DENPASAR, KOMPAS — President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has called on all parties to trust the National Police to thoroughly investigate the riots that occurred from May 21-22, 2019. In their investigation, the National Police could work with competent parties.
That is the gist of President Jokowi’s answer to reporters\' questions regarding calls from civil society organizations for the government to set up a joint fact-finding team (TGPF) to probe the riots that left nine people dead. According to the President, the National Police are investigating the riots as well as aspects surrounding them.
"And, not only the police. Later, [the police] could invite Komnas HAM and others," the President said in Denpasar, Bali, on Friday (14/6/2019), referring to the National Commission on Human Rights.
The May 21-22 riots took place around the Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) building and from there toward the Mobile Brigade headquarters in the Petamburan and Slipi area. Peaceful street rallies rejecting the result of the 2019 presidential election turned violent after most of the protesters had gone home and other groups of people arrived.
Some of the nine dead had been shot. The police have stated that no officers assigned to safeguard the protests were equipped with live rounds.
Fair and objective
The former chairman of the East Timor Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission (1999), Albert Hasibuan, said the formation of an independent team consisting of all parties would give the investigation into the riots and the nine fatalities strong legitimacy. Such an independent team would be seen by the public as fair and objective.
Albert proposed that the independent team be formed by Komnas HAM and include members from the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police as well as representatives of the public and other relevant institutions.
"Thus, the results [of the investigation] will not be one-sided and can be accepted by all parties," Albert said.
The results of the investigation by the fact-finding team, said Albert, would be used for a legal process. The process could lead to court proceedings or compensation for the families of the victims.
Komnas HAM is ready to lend its support if President Jokowi forms the fact-finding team. At present, Komnas HAM continues to investigate the riots. "For us, the most important thing is to focus on the task and intensively coordinate with the National Police. We cooperate in law enforcement and justice," said Komnas HAM chairman Ahmad Taufan Damanik.
Regarding the cooperation to shed light on the riots, the human rights commission has the duty to oversee the police performance. There were also inspections conducted by the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) and the Indonesian Ombudsman.
Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) mobilization and strategy deputy coordinator Feri Kusuma said the formation of the TGPF would neutralize political factors, because every institution involved in the team would work independently.
Separately, the head of the National Police’s Public Information Division, Sr. Comr. Asep Adi Saputra, said the National Police’s internal investigation team continued to coordinate with other state supervisory agencies, such as the Indonesian Ombudsman, Komnas HAM and Kompolnas. Given the fact that the three supervisory institutions also conducted investigations, the cooperation among them was parallel.
"This means that, whatever is found out by the National Police, which is still temporary, and [facts established] by the three supervisory institutions, can be put together [to achieve unified data]," said Asep.
Kompolnas commissioner Bekto Suprapto said that, so far, the police had worked in accordance with existing guidelines. He said the police had cracked down on rioters and not on the protesters.
Bekto appreciated the steps taken by the chief of the National Police, who openly cooperated with external supervisors in guarding the investigation into the riots.