"They explained that the response of this concerned individual -- the Police Mobile Brigade officer -- was an emotionally triggered one since he lived in the Police Mobile Brigade dormitory that came under attack," Damanik said.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) submitted copies of four new videos on alleged violence by police officers against protesters in Jakarta on May 22, 2019, to the Indonesian Police's general supervision inspector.

"We came again in connection with four new cases. We screened the videos and furnished the data, and they acknowledged them," Komnas HAM Chairman Ahmad Taufan Damanik informed the press at his office here on Monday.

After viewing the video, the police stated that the alleged acts of violence were emotionally spurred, Damanik stated.

"They explained that the response of this concerned individual -- the Police Mobile Brigade officer -- was an emotionally triggered one since he lived in the Police Mobile Brigade dormitory that came under attack," Damanik stated.

The four video grabs were captured from different locations, including near the Embassy of Spain and in front of the Police Mobile Brigade command office, but one location is yet to be identified.

The human rights body asserted that violence is not justified on any grounds, so the officers, who committed the violence, must be handed down firm punishment, and the measures taken must be made public.

In the meantime, Senior Commissioner Asep Adi Saputra, the Police's spokesman, remarked that punishment for police officers, who committed acts of violence during the riot, entailed not only placing them in special confinement for 21 days, but other sanctions would also follow.

He noted that a record was maintained of the acts of violence they had committed and could be taken into account for any promotion and their career, in general.

Jakarta's post-election rally, which ended in violence on May 21-22, 2019, claimed eight lives and resulted in hundreds of protestors and nine police officers being injured.

Of those injured, 294 victims were between 20 and 24 years of age, and 170 others were below 19 years, while three teens were among those who died, Governor of Jakarta Anies Baswedan confirmed. Following the clashes, various videos and photos depicting violence went viral on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp. The government responded by imposing restrictions on access to social media from May 21 to May 25, 2019. The police also arrested some 300 people during the two-day clashes.

As netizens reacted sharply to the violence that resulted in the deaths of several protestors, including teenagers, the Indonesian Police formed a team to probe the deaths of the demonstrators, and a fact-finding team was established to investigate the deaths of the teenagers EDITED BY INE

Translator: Kuntum K Riswan, Fardah
Editor: Eliswan Azly
Copyright © ANTARA 2019