Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung/Jakarta – The Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) and the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) condemned the shooting of two workers in Bandung, West Java, on Monday, saying it showed the security authorities were using violence to deal with industrial disputes.

The two NGOs said in a joint press release, made available to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday, that the incident occurred when about 3,000 workers were on their way to the provincial legislative council to protest two labor bills being deliberated by the House of Representatives.

"Workers have the right to express their opinion and the Committee of Action for Workers Solidarity [KSAB] had informed Bandung Police before the rally was held," the press release said.

Both Supardjo and Syarif Hidayat suffered serious head injuries, when the two workers of PT Posulam Indo Utama in Cimahi, made their way onto the premises of another company to force its workers to join the rally.

First. Insp. Hotben Gultom also suffered back injuries, when several workers beat him after he had opened fire on the workers.

The joint press release, jointly signed by Choirul Anam, head of YLBHI's labor division, and Rita Olivia, head of LBH's labor division, said the incident was strikingly similar to several former incidents. It cited as examples, the May 1993 killing of Marsinah in Sidoardjo, East Java, and the gunning down of Kimun Effendy and Rachmat Hidayat, both workers of PT Kadera in Jakarta as well as the use of repression against journalists this year in both East Java and Jakarta.

"This is real evidence that the government and the security authorities remain unable to understand disputes concerning industrial relations in Indonesia," it said, adding the police should investigate the case fairly and thoroughly.

The NGOs have given their weight behind the workers' objections of the two labor bills, which they say renegades on the state's obligation to provide protection for workers.

Meanwhile, Adj. Sr. Comr. Edwardsyah Pernong, chief of Bandung Police, said Supardjo, who was undergoing intensive care at Mitra Kasih General Hospital in Cimahi, was declared a suspect in the case.

"The suspect will be brought to court because he and five other workers attacked Hotben and tried to take his gun and communications radio," he said, citing the suspect could be jailed for five years for such a crime.

He said that, of the 31 demonstrators arrested on Monday, eleven were released on Tuesday and the remaining 20 would be questioned further.

Pernong said the workers had not protested civilly, but were deliberately provocative and violent toward the security authorities.

"We have evidence to suggest the suspect and the detainees provoked their fellow workers to join the violent rally and they used violence against security personnel," he said.

He reiterated the workers did not inform the authorities of their plans so the police were unable to maintain security at the rally.

He said the local police were still searching for four labor activists from the National Front for the Struggle of Indonesian Workers (FNBI) who organized the rally.