Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the alleged brutal murder of a 14 year-old boy by nine officers of the Muncipal Administrative Police Unit (SATPOL PP) on Pakubuwono Street in Southern Jakarta on the 8 January 2007. The boy was arrested for a petty violation of the municipal regulations. Now the police authority claims that the victim died due to ill-health, as opposed to severe internal injuries allegedly caused by his assault. No serious action has been taken to investigate the incident despite the victim’s family’s complaint.
CASE DETAILS:
At around 7:00am on 8 January 2007, 14 year-old Irfan was working as a “jockey” (see notes) on Pakubuwono street in the cosmopolitan area of southern Jakarta when nine officers of the Muncipal Administrative Police Unit (SATPOL PP) conducted a raid of the local jockey operations in that area. Arresting 15 jockeys, officers attempted to arrest young Irfan who responded by biting his arresting officer’s hand and running away. He was soon flagged down by officers on motorcycle, who then proceeded to severely beat him. Officers also stamped on his chest several times.
By this point, Irfan had lost consciousness. Officers took him to the Bumi Puskesmas hospital, but by the time when they reached the hospital, Irfan was dead. His body was then transferred to the Cipto Mangunkusumo Public Hospital.
By 10 January 2007, Irfan’s family, highly anxious because of his absence, began looking for him. They were informed by a local jockey that Irfan had been taken to the Bumi Puskesmas hospital. Upon further enquiry at the hospital, his family learnt that Irfan had indeed been admitted with extensive injuries by SATPOL PP Officers, but that he was transferred to another hospital soon thereafter. Now frantic, Irfan’s family visited several local hospitals in hopes of finding him. Their search eventually led them to the RCSM Public Hospital where they found Irfan’s body. By this time, Irfan’s body was lead-coloured and showed signs of severe physical trauma, including signs of strangulation around the neck. Taking his corpse home, Irfan’s family buried their slain son on 10 January 2007.
In a public press release, Mr. Harianto Bajuri, the Head of Security and Discipline of the Jakarta administrative region, claimed that Irfan died due to ill-health, as opposed to severe internal injuries allegedly caused by his assault.
On 13 January 2007, Irfan’s family with the assistance of the Association of Indonesian Advocates (AAI) and the Indonesian Law Students Union (PERMAHI) filed a formal complaint with the Metrojaya Provincial Police. But not surprisingly, no action has been taken to investigate the incident and arrest those responsible police officers.
The AHRC understands that the victim violated the municipal regulation and the police are responsible for enforcing the regulations. However, this cannot justify the killing of Ifran. For such petty crimes, punishment should not exceed a fine of some amount against violators. In fact, the ill-treatment, torture and public humiliation on “jockeys” by the police is common in Indonesia. The AHRC has previously reported the malicious assault and public humiliation of Ms. Sugihart, a 31 year-old impoverished mother working as a “jockey”, by officers of the Municipal Administrative Police Unit (SATPOL PP) at the Menteng District Office in Jakarta on 5 September 2006 (See further: UA-320-2006).
NOTES:
Jakarta City Administrative and Police authorities introduced a new regulation in attempts to reduce the heavy traffic congestion in the city-centre, which states that private cars are required to carry a minimum of at least three passengers when traveling on the major urban thoroughfares during peak traffic-hours. However, many drivers in Jakarta openly contested this regulation by hiring “jockeys”; young men and women who can be hired for a fee of a few thousand Rupiah (less than 1 USD) by drivers as a third passenger, thus enabling them to travel during peak traffic-hours, without having to pay the penalty fines for violation of this traffic regulation.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the relevant authorities listed below, expressing your grave concern for the unforgivable and brutish conduct of the said officers of the SATPOL PP Police Unit which culminated in young Irfan’s death and the failure on the part of the Police to conduct impartial investigations.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear __________,
INDONESIA: Alleged brutal murder of 14 year-old boy by Jakarta police
Name of victim: Irfan; 14 years-old, worked as a “jockey”
Name of alleged perpetrators: Nine officers of the Municipal Administrative Police Unit (SATPOL PP)
Date of incident: At around 7:00am on 8 January 2007
Place of incident: Pakubowono Street, Southern Jakarta, Indonesia
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the alleged brutal murder of a 14 year-old boy by nine officers of the Muncipal Administrative Police Unit (SATPOL PP) on Pakubuwono Street in Southern Jakarta on 8 January 2007.
On the said date, 14 year-old Irfan was working as a “jockey” (can be hired for a fee of a few thousand Rupiah (less than 1 USD) by drivers as a third passenger to enable them to travel during peak traffic-hours, without having to pay penalty fines) on Pakubuwono street in the cosmopolitan area of southern Jakarta when nine officers of the Muncipal Administrative Police Unit (SATPOL PP) conducted a raid of the local jockey operations in that area. Arresting 15 jockeys, officers attempted to arrest young Irfan who responded by biting his arresting officer’s hand and running away. He was soon flagged down by officers on motorcyle, who then proceeded to severely beat him. Officers also stamped on his chest several times.
By this point, Irfan had lost consciousness. Officers took him to the Bumi Puskesmas hospital, but by the time when they reached the hospital, Irfan was dead. His body was then transferred to the Cipto Mangunkusumo Public Hospital. However, the police did not inform this incident to Irfan’s family and simply abandoned the boy’s body at the hospital.
By 10 January 2007, Irfan’s family, highly anxious because of his absence, began looking for him. They were informed by a local jockey that Irfan had been taken to the Bumi Puskesmas hospital. Upon further enquiry at the hospital, his family learnt that Irfan had indeed been admitted with extensive injuries by SATPOL PP Officers, but that he was transferred to another hospital soon thereafter. Now frantic, Irfan’s family visited several local hospitals in hopes of finding him. Their search eventually led them to the RCSM Public Hospital where they found Irfan’s body. By this time, Irfan’s body was lead-coloured and showed signs of severe physical trauma, including signs of strangulation around the neck. Taking his corpse home, Irfan’s family buried their slain son on 10 January 2007.
However, I was informed that in a public press release, Mr. Harianto Bajuri, the Head of Security and Discipline of the Jakarta administrative region claimed that Irfan died due to ill-health.
On 13 January 2007, Irfan’s family filed a formal complaint with the Metrojaya Provincial Police but no serious action has yet been taken to investigate the incident and arrest those responsible officers to date.
I understand that the victim violated the municipal regulation and the police are responsible for enforcing the regulations. However, this cannot justify the killing of Ifran. For such petty crimes, punishment should not exceed a fine of some amount against violators.
I also know that Indonesia was elected to the UN Human Rights Council in 2006. As such, it should be made the primary priority of the Indonesian government to protect and uphold these fundamental human rights for its citizens. More importantly, flagrant abuses by people in state-appointed positions of authority such as seen here should not be tolerated.
I therefore strongly urge you to apply the necessary pressure on the relevant judicial and law-enforcement authorities in Jakarta to conduct an official post-mortem and investigation into Irfan’s murder, and to take proper prosecutory action against the accused officers of the SATPOL PP. In addition, adequate compensation should be paid to the victim’s bereaved family without further delay.
I equally request that the Indonesian government amend the existing domestic law on torture on an urgent basis, both to prevent such violations and provide a mechanism for redress.
While young Irfan was indeed in violation of municipal regulation, the misuse and abuse of positions of authority by the accused police officers in their malicious treatment of a 14 year-old boy is in violation of international legal protocol, and should be treated as such.
I look forward to your prompt and effective response in this matter.
Yours sincerely,
—————-
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTER TO:
1. Gen. Sutanto
Chief of National Police
Jl. Trunojoyo No. 3
Jakarta Selatan
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 721 8012
Fax: +62 21 720 7277
2. Inspector-General Adang Firman
Metrojaya Provincial Chief of Police
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 523 4001
Fax: +62 21 522 56463
3. Mr. Sutiyoso
Governor of DKI Jakarta Province
Jl. Merdeka Selatan Blok.8-9
Telp.+62-21 3823288
E-mail: dkiweb@jakarta.go.id
Jakarta Pusat
INDONESIA
4. Mr. Enny Soeprapto
Commissioner of the Right to Safety life
KOMNAS HAM
Jl. Latuharhary No. 4B Menteng
Jakarta Pusat 10310
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 3925230
Fax: +62 21 3151042/3925227
E-mail: info@komnasham.or.id
5. Mr. Abdul Rahman Saleh
Attorney General
Kejaksaan Agung RI
Jl. Sultan Hasanuddin No. 1
Jakarta Selatan
INDONESIA
Tel: + 62 21 7221337, 7397602
Fax: + 62 21 7250213
6. Prof. Manfred Nowak
Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture
Attn: Mr. Safir Syed
c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9230
Fax: +41 22 917 9016 (general)
7. Mr. Philip Alston
Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions
Attn: Lydie Ventre
Room 3-016
c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9155
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR EXECUTIONS)
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
