Jakarta – The Jakarta Police have detained 10 suspects in the hijacking of two tanker trucks owned by state-owned energy company PT Pertamina that were subsequently taken to a protest staged by workers laid off by the company's subsidiary PT Pertamina Patra Niaga on Monday.
The Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH) condemned the police for arresting the Tanker Drivers Union (SPAMT) members. It also claimed that the police had hindered LBH lawyers who sought to represent the workers.
Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said the police had questioned and detained the suspects.
"We named five more suspects after the investigation," Argo told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. The police had previously arrested five suspects.
According to an LBH Jakarta statement on Tuesday, some police officers visited the SPAMT post in Plumpang, North Jakarta, on Monday night, claiming that they would help the workers resolve their problems.
The officers asked the union leader Wuryatmo and nine of his colleagues to accompany them to the North Jakarta Police headquarters.
"The workers have not been allowed to meet their lawyers even though they have signed power-of-attorney letters," LBH Jakarta stated. "In our opinion, such actions have the potential to spread fear among the workers and their families, who are fighting for their rights. They are demanding to be hired as permanent employees after 20 years of service with PT Pertamina Patra Niaga."
SPAMT council board Aris Wiyono denied that the incident amounted to hijacking.
He admitted that some protestors had taken over two tanker trucks in North Jakarta on Monday morning, but he refuted the allegation that the action had been planned. He said the initiative was taken to attract the attention of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo (ggq/vla)