Ulma Haryanto – Legal aid foundations on Friday condemned the fatal shooting of Shakira, a transvestite, and demanded that the police launch a comprehensive investigation.

"Many cases concerning the abuse of transvestites have gone unresolved and left in the dark. We hope that won't happen with this one," said Widodo Budidarmo, coordinator of Arus Pelangi, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights group.

Shakira, a paralegal whose real name was Faisal Harahap, was shot and killed in an apparent attempted robbery at Taman Lawang in Menteng, Central Jakarta, a well-known gathering spot for transvestites.

The 28-year-old was one of the transvestites who had taken classes with the People's Legal Aid Institution (LBH Masyarakat) so that he could advise other transvestites on their problems with the law.

"Last year he also helped us when several transvestites were caught in raids by public order officers and the police," said Alex Argo Hernowo, from LBH Masyarakat. "It is sad that his life had to end like this."

The shooting is being investigated by a joint team from the Menteng Police, the Central Jakarta Police and Jakarta Police headquarters.

Two other transvestites, identified as 19-year-old Agus Juliawan, who is also known as Venus, and 24-year-old Tantan Setia, who goes by the name Astrid, were wounded in the shooting.

Venus was critically injured and underwent emergency surgery, while Tantan suffered gunshot wounds to the abdomen and upper arm. Shakira died from a gunshot wound to the chest.

Edy Halomoan Gurning, from the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH), said he hoped police would treat the case seriously.

"Bullet fragments from the three victims have already been recovered by the police as evidence," he said. "And we are waiting for the key witness, Venus, to recover so that he can testify."

Edy said it was possible that one witness knew the perpetrators. Agus Karsa Abadi Hutahuruk, 27, was allegedly having sex with Venus when two men arrived at the park on a motorcycle. One of the men reportedly said to Agus: "You embarrass me."

The two men reportedly demanded Agus's wallet and the keys to his motorcycle. When the men then attempted to take the motorcycle, a number of transvestites surrounded them.

It was at that point, according to witness statements to the police, that one of the men drew a handgun and fired numerous shots, killing Shakira and wounding Venus and Tantan

"It is strange that Agus was not shot at all," Edy said. "He even claimed that he then rode on one of the men's motorcycles until they dropped him in Manggarai, East Jakarta." It was unclear where Edy had heard that information.

Widodo, from Arus Pelangi, said none of the transvestites who frequented the area had seen Agus before.

Thursday's shooting was just the latest fatal incident involving transvestites in the city.

According to Widodo, in 2002 three transvestites were arrested near Taman Anggrek in West Jakarta after a man complained that one of them had stolen his mobile phone. The following day, the bodies of all three were found in the same location with gunshot wounds to their heads.

Rights groups petitioned the police to investigate the killings, but the case was never solved after the police said there was a lack of evidence, Widodo said.

He added that legal rights organizations and Arus Pelangi had jointly signed a letter requesting that Shakira's body be released from the morgue for burial. The funeral, he said, was scheduled for Friday.