JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The National Police\'s internal has discovered the location where five of the nine dead victims of the 21-22 May 2019 riots were killed. The discovery is expected to accelerate the full disclosure of the nine victims’ cause of death.Amid the police investigation into the riots, the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) has expressed its hope that the police would demonstrate their accountability and professionalism in investigating the deaths of the nine riot victims.
National Police public relations head Sr. Comr. Asep Adi Saputra said on Monday (17/6/2019) that the internal team had confirmed through questioning witnesses and investigating the crime scene that the five were killed in Petamburan, Central Jakarta, during the 21-22 May riots. The team was still searching for the locations of where the four other victims were killed.
Live bullets
Asep said the internal team had autopsied the bodies of four of the nine victims. The five other victims were not autopsied because their families had taken custody of their bodies following the riots. The autopsies found that the four victims died from gunshot wounds caused by live rounds. "We have retrieved two projectiles that are now being examined," said Asep.
The two bullets were found in the bodies of Harul Al Rasyd and Abdul Azis. Bullets were not found in the bodies of the two other victims, but their bodies bore gunshot wounds.
The internal investigation team also discovered a bullet in survivor Zulkifli, who is undergoing treatment at the Said Sukanto Police Hospital in East Jakarta.
There are strong indications that four of the five victims who were not autopsied were killed by live ammunition, while the fifth victim was killed by blows from a blunt object.
Asep said that the National Police suspected that the nine victims were rioters, but the internal investigation team would ascertain the victims’ roles in the incident.
Earlier, the National Police had said that the police had not been armed with live bullets while on duty in securing the peaceful demonstration, which descended into violence overnight on 21-22 May.
Regarding the findings, Komnas HAM commissioner Choirul Anam stated that he would coordinate with the Police Forensic Laboratory and the National Police\'s internal investigation team to learn about the types of bullets that were found in the victims’ bodies and the chronology of the riot.
"The public is awaiting information about the perpetrators [of the riots] and the types of weapons that claimed nine lives," Anam said.
The families of the riot victims on Sunday requested protection from the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK), alleging that they had received threats. LPSK spokesman Mardiansyah said the agency would review the requests and also coordinate with Komnas HAM.
Ninik Rahayu of the Indonesia Ombudsman said that its investigations into the security force’s handling of the riots still lacked the necessary data and information. (SAN/MTK/SHR/GIO)