Jakarta – As a result of his injuries, Coki Naipospos went to St Carolus Hospital for a medical report on his condition. Along with colleagues from PBHI, he took this report to the police but they refused to accept it because it was from a private hospital and told him to get a report from Cipto Mangungkusumo Hospital (RSCM).
Coki then went to the RSCM and while there, he recongised one of the attackers who was getting treatment. He immediately phoned Yeni at the Central Jakarta police station to tell her to urge the police to go immediately to the RSCM. They were slow to respond, but finally agreed to go to the hospital. When the group of eight policemen arrived at the hospital, they didnt seem to be interested in making any arrests although Coki said that, as a witness, he could testify that they had participated in the attack. After an hour during which the police still failed to make any arrests, Coki had to leave in order to make a report to the Central Jakarta police.
The police explained their reluctance to act, saying that they didnt wanted to make a wrongful arrest. Yeni who had remained behind at the hospital to urge the police to attack, reminded them that they had the powers to take people into custody for 24 hours.
Moreover, as she pointed out, the suspects at the hospital made no secret of their role, shouting to people that they were 'pro-integration East Timorese "who love the Republic of Indonesia". They poured abuse on Solidamor calling them "puppets of the CNRT and traitors to the nation".
In the end, after persistent pressure from Yeni, the police took away four men. Solidamor are not sure whether the men were held for investigation or set free.
The next day, 25 May, Coki, Yeni, Tri Agus, and Andryanto with a team from the PBHI visited the national chief of police, General Rusdihardjo to deliver a very strong protest about the attack on the Solidamor office, and expressing their concern at the lack of seriousness on the part of the Central Jakarta police in pursuing the investigation. Solidamor regards this as a very important test case for the Indonesian government to give proof of their willingness to pursue investigations of those involved in the events in East Timor following the ballot last year.
The attack on the Solidamor office was carried out in the same pattern as the acts of violence carried out by the militia/TNI in East Timor following the ballot last year. It was an attack by pro-integration people against pro-independence people, a physical attack aimed at destroying all the contents or carrying off whatever they could take. The only difference was that when attacking the Solidamor office, they took care to carry off all the printout files and disks they could lay their hands on.
It's a very straightforward case, Some of the attackers are now in the hands of the police, evidence is easily available, the men have made no secret of their involvement, and have been identified by Coki as a witness. If the police fail to investigate this case thoroughly, we will have to question the seriousness of the police to investigate the far more serious cases involving Indonesian generals and militia leaders.
Solidamor urges human rights activists around the world to press the Indonesian police to investigate the cases of the four men arrested as the Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital and to investigate the attack. If these clearly identifiable men are allowed to go free, what can we expect will happen to top generals like General Wiranto.