Jakarta (Berita Satu) – The National Police announced on Thursday that six policemen in Southeast Sulawesi have been accused of breaching operating procedure during the Sept. 26 rally in the provincial capital Kendari that turned violent and claimed the lives of two students.
The six, including five middle-ranking and one high-ranking officer, will be subject to an internal investigation.
"We have charged the six officers," said Brig. Gen. Hendro Pandowo, head of the National Police Provost Bureau, which is tasked with disciplinary matters.
Hendro identified the accused by the initials D.K., G.M., M.I., M.A., H. and E., all members of the intelligence and detective units of the Southeast Sulawesi Police.
The internal investigation will be conducted to determine if the accused had been assigned to take part in the security arrangements for the rally, which took place at the provincial legislative building.
Two students of the city's Halu Oleo University died after the protest against revisions of the Law on the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) turned violent. They were identified as Rendy, 21, who died from a gunshot wound to the chest, and Yusuf Kardawi, 19, who died in hospital from a head injury.
National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian has ordered an internal investigation to the incident and sent two teams of investigators to Kendari.
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has expressed his condolences to the families of the victims, while asserting that police must not use live ammos while securing rallies.
"There is no order [for police] to be armed when responding to rallies. So there will be further investigations," the president said a day after the incident.