Hundreds Of Demonstrators Arrested By Polda Metro Called Not Accompanied By Attorney

The police set up an iron barricade after the mass of the 2024 Pilkada Bill behind the DPR building collapsed one of the gates at the Pancasila Gate, Jalan Glora, Central Jakarta, Thursday (22/8/2024). (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Indonesia Police Watch (IPW) condemns the violence of the authorities in arresting the protesters conveying their aspirations regarding the rejection of the Pilkada Bill in front of the DPR Building, Thursday, August 22, 2024. At least hundreds of demonstrators were arrested by the police, but law enforcement forces limited access to legal aid for demonstrators arrested to be accompanied during the examination process at Polda Metro Jaya. according to the Criminal Procedure Code, Law on Legal Aid, Law on Justice, and Covenan, civil and political rights states that everyone has the rights to receive legal assistance to the legal issues being faced.

"Meanwhile, based on information from the Metro Police, it only limits the number of advocates who can accompany the demonstrators who have been arrested, which is quite a number," Chairman of the Indonesia Police Watch Sugeng Teguh Santoso, in his statement Friday, August 23.Demo is a public expression of opinions and is one of the human rights guaranteed in Article 28 of the 1945 Constitution. The guarantee was even stated in Law 9 of 1998 concerning Freedom of Expressing Opinion in Public.

Demonstrations of students and communities in Jakarta and several cities in Indonesia protest the efforts of the DPR RI to ratify the Pilkada Bill which is allegedly regulated in Article 10 paragraph (1) letter e of Law No. 12 of 2011 concerning the Formation of Legislation which states that the content that must be regulated by law contains one of them is a follow-up to the decision of the Constitutional Court so as to rule out the decision of the Constitutional Court No. 60 and No. 70 concerning the conditions for the nomination of Regional Heads and the condition of the life of the Regional Head is an act against the law so that it is appropriate for students to voice protests with demonstrations. On the other hand, IPW appreciates the steps taken by the West Jakarta Police in dealing with hundreds of demons who were arrested and then repatriated. A total of 105 people were herded to the West Jakarta Police consisting of 102 students and 3 adults. Until 03.00 Thursday night the number of demonstrators who were repatriated was 35 people. The rest, 67 protesters waited for the administrative process. The West Jakarta Police asked students who were caught to contact the elderly and make agreements and signatures on stamps. Students who had been picked up by their parents were immediately allowed to go home. No one should be picked up by others. IPW urged the police to improve the professionalism of members of their members in the field who handled demonstrations on a large scale so as not to be provoked to commit violence by training and educating them to understand Perkap Number 1 of 2009 concerning the Use of Force in Police Action. Against police officers who commit violence by not heeding the procedures in the plot must be processed ethically and criminally.