IPW Asks Police To Arrest Perpetrators Of Ade Armando Persecution

Ade Armando was arrested by the police after being beaten by demonstrators on April 11/Photo: Antara

JAKARTA - Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) has asked the police to take firm action against the perpetrators of the persecution of social media activists and academics Ade Armando during a demonstration by the All-Indonesian Student Executive Board (BEM SI) on April 11 in front of the Indonesian Parliament Building, Jakarta.

According to IPW Chairman Sugeng Teguh Santoso, the case must be thoroughly investigated from the bottom to the top until it is revealed who the intellectual actor behind the action is.

"Against the people who are suspected of beating Ade Armando, the Metro Police must be firm and complete as the National Police Chief ordered, namely "if there is a trigger and then anarchy occurs, the Police must enforce the law, pull it up to the end," said Sugeng, in a written statement received in Jakarta, Tuesday 12 April.

Sugeng urged the Metro Jaya Police to immediately arrest and prosecute the beaters of social media activist Ade Armando, while at the same time dismantling the parties who were riding in the chaos of the originally peaceful demonstration.

The arrest of the perpetrators of the beating against Ade Armando, said Sugeng, could be used as an entry point for the police to reveal who the provocateurs were. Besides, the police were able to find the financiers who rode the BEM SI demonstration into chaos.

These perpetrators can be charged with Article 170 of the Criminal Code and also those who provoke through social media about Ade Armando's presence at the demonstration site can be charged as proponents of violence using IT media.

According to him, the beating against Ade Armando was clearly planned by a group of provocateurs who detected his presence at the demonstration site. For no apparent reason, suddenly a group of people persecuted him together, making Ade Armando naked. It appears that the persecutors are not a group of BEM SI students who are currently demonstrating.

IPW, he continued, previously, through its release, had warned the authorities that there were groups that would ride the BEM SI demonstration.

"The police must be firm on the perpetrators of violent crimes that are motivated by hatred due to differences in beliefs and political attitudes," he said, quoted by Antara.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Police Public Relations Division, Inspector General Pol. Dedi Prasetyo in a press conference at the National Police Headquarters, Monday evening, April 11, said that the Metro Jaya Police had arrested several people suspected of being involved in the persecution of Ade Armando.

"But it is still being investigated first, examined first. Investigators have the opportunity to have 2 pieces of evidence that are sufficient to identify the suspect," said Dedi.

Regarding the distribution of photos of 4 people suspected of being involved in the abuse of Ade Armando on social media, according to Dedi, the matter is still being investigated by Metro Jaya Police investigators.

According to him, Metro Jaya Police has arrested several people, not only 4 people whose photos have been spread on social media. All those who are secured by investigators are examined to prove their unlawful acts.

"Investigators will prove the involvement of these people, the extent of their role in carrying out legal actions," said Dedi.