National Police spokesman Brigadier General Boy Rafli Amar stated the police had always tried negotiating with them in a bid to make them to surrender.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - With regard to the terror suspects killed during a recent raid in Ciputat, Tangerang Selatan, the police denied accusations on Friday that they had conducted an execution.

"It was not an execution, but it was a part of our efforts to arrest and enforce the law against various suspects involved in various acts of terrorism, which have claimed many lives and afflicted damage to public property," National Police spokesman Brigadier General Boy Rafli Amar stated here on Friday.

He remarked that the police implemented the mandate given through the Law Number 15 of 2003 on the fight against terrorism and also followed standard operating procedures during the raid.

He added that many police officers had also fallen victims while carrying out their duty of enforcing the law against the terrorists.

He noted that the terrorists were also prepared to fight till their last breath rather than surrendering to the police.

He stated that the police had always tried negotiating with them in a bid to make them to surrender.

"There have been many instances wherein our officers had been killed by them because they were not quick enough to act," the former anti-squad Densus 88 chief negotiator said.

"So, let us get this matter straightened out that it was not an execution, but rather an enforcement of the law," he emphasized.

Chairman of the Indonesia Police Watch Presidium Neta S. Pane has earlier urged the police to ensure greater transparency while dealing with terror suspects so that they are not misconstrued as executors.

Supporting Netas views, Mahfudz Siddiq, chairman of the House of Representatives Commission I, which oversees defense and security, also criticized the police regarding the raid on the suspected terrorists in Kampung Sawah, Ciputat, Tangeran Selatan, Banten, on Tuesday (Dec. 31) night.

"The operation was followed by a shootout that led to deaths. The police must not follow this direct approach," he added.

He claimed that it is difficult to verify whether the victims were terrorists if they were killed.

A politician from the Prosperous and Justice Party (PKS) stated that this act will make people more suspicious towards the police, especially Densus 88, due to earlier cases of false arrests.

He added that the people already harbored doubts that the police had planned the action for other purposes apart from law enforcement.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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