INDONESIA: Police burned a man alive over private matter in Semarang, Central Java

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the Community Legal Aid Institute in Indonesia (LBH Masyarakat), a non-profit civil society organisation in Indonesia providing legal aid and building a community-based human rights monitoring system, that police officer allegedly tortured a man after illegal arrest and burned him alive in Semarang, Central Java on 14 May 2008. The man is currently in intensive care due to severe injuries.

CASE DETAILS:

Syamsul Hadi, 34-year-old was at his friend’s house on 14 May 2008. According to the information received, police inspector Sugeng attached to Semarang Police Office in plain clothes and two others came to the house and arrested Syamsul Hadi without reason around midnight. Then, Sugeng took him to a minivan and dropped his two colleagues at the police office while Syamsul was still inside the van. Sugeng drove the van around the city for several hours.

The police inspector Sugeng severely beat Syamsul while Syamsul was blindfolded and his hands and feet were tied up. On arrival in Lingkar Peganjaran Road, Kudus district, Sugeng dragged him out of the van and poured gasoline on Syamsul’s body and burned him alive. Then, Sugeng left him on the highway.

Syamsul managed to survive and was found by local villagers in the bushes with severe burn over his body. He is currently under the Intensive Care Unit of Kudus hospital. He is guarded by several policemen because he is the key witness to the incident.

Initial police investigation reported that the motive of this crime is love.. Sugeng was arrested on 15 May 2008 afternoon by the Central Java Regional Police and interrogated by Propam Division (Ethics Division) of the Semarang Police Office.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

There is no specific, effective, reliable and independent complaint system to investigate allegations of torture by the police in Indonesia. In the internal system of the police there is Profesi dan Pengamanan (PROPAM), Profession and Security, a mechanism, for reporting various kinds of abuses committed by members of the police. Cases can range from bribery to torture. An individual who wants to complain about such abuses can file a complaint to the PROPAM division which is provided for in most police offices. Therefore, if a police officer breaches a law, commits any offence in Indonesia, the officer will be investigated by the PROPAM division. If the officer is found guilty of committing a criminal offence, he or she will be then handed over to the criminal division for the investigation in the aspect of criminal offence.

The deliberate confusion in Indonesia created by the misleading definition of torture has resulted in the non-establishment of a mechanism for reporting, investigation and punishment that reflects the gravity of the crime, thereby rendering it impossible to obtain redress by the victims. The
PROPAM mechanism that is currently available is neither preventive nor remedial and is not specific to the cases of torture.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the authorities below to ensure that this incident is thoroughly and impartially investigated and the police officer who attempted to kill Syamsul Hadi are punished.

The AHRC has also written to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture calling for an intervention in this case.

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER