988 Police Personnel Guard Demonstration Commemorating Rejection of Criminal Code Bill which Killed 2 Students in Kendari

Police personnel securing demonstrators at the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police. (Antara/La Ode Muh Deden Saputra)

KENDARI - A total of 988 police personnel were deployed to secure the mass action commemorating the demonstration against the Criminal Code Bill which killed 2 students in Kendari on 26 September.

Head of the Kendari Police, Commissioner Pol Muhammad Eka Fathurrahman, said that the hundreds of personnel who were deployed came from elements of Brimob, Polres, and Polda Southeast Sulawesi (Sultra).

"From the Southeast Sulawesi Police Mobile Brigade, Kendari Police, Bombana Police, and Kolaka Police," said Eka in Kendari, reported by Antara, Tuesday 26 September.

He said that hundreds of personnel were prepared at several points in Kendari City which had the potential to become locations for mass demonstrators.

"These personnel are stationed at several points in Kendari City," he said.

These points are one company-level unit (SSK) of Brimob Polda Sultra personnel in the Citraland Housing area, one SSK at the Governor's Office, and one SSK at the Polda Sultra.

"Also two 45 detachments at the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police, one 45 detachment at the Mandonga Police, one bomb disposal team, one escape team at the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police," he said.

Apart from that, he continued, these personnel were also prepared at the Southeast Sulawesi Provincial DPRD Office to secure the demonstrators who were demonstrating at that place.

Eka explained that the police also provided a joint team of negotiators from the Kendari Police and the rank-and-file police.

"For police and regional police traffic, the plotting is according to intersections and roundabouts. And Criminal Investigation and Intelligence personnel are mobile and follow the movements of the protesters," he explained.

It is known that hundreds of students began to surround the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police to demonstrate over the death of two students named Randi and Yusuf Kardawi while protesting the Criminal Code and Omnibuslaw Bill at the Southeast Sulawesi Provincial DPRD Office.