Dinda Shabrina, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia is urging military justice reform and a serious evaluation of the use of firearms by members of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police (Polri). The demand was conveyed following the shooting of a car rental boss involving members of the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) in early 2025.
Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid said the shooting of a car rental boss by TNI soldiers adds to the long list of violations that claim the right to life of civilians. "Extrajudicial killings by officers continue to occur. Their actions clearly violate human rights," he said in a written statement, Monday, January 6, 2025.
Three TNI AL members were involved in the shooting of a car rental boss at the rest area of the KM 45 Merak-Tangerang Toll Road on Thursday, January 2, 2025. The three members involved in the shooting had the initials AA, RH, and BA.
According to data collected by Amnesty International, throughout 2024 there were 55 cases of extrajudicial killings with the majority of victims killed at the hands of police and military personnel. Of that number, 10 perpetrators came from the TNI, 29 from the police, and 3 others involved joint forces.
The shooting on January 2, 2025, according to him, is the latest example of the failure of the authorities to manage the use of firearms legally. Amnesty International demands that the perpetrators be tried through general courts, not military courts which are considered non-transparent and tend to be closed.
"The perpetrators must be tried in general courts to ensure a fair and open legal process," said Usman. He emphasized the importance of revising Law Number 31 of 1997 concerning Military Justice, so that violations of general criminal law by military personnel are processed according to the mandate of Law Number 34 of 2004 concerning the TNI.
Amnesty also criticized the use of the term 'oknum' which is often used to refer to perpetrators from among the authorities. Usman said the term tends to be used to avoid institutional responsibility. "Institutions must be held accountable for the actions of their members, especially if firearms are used for criminal acts or human rights violations," he said.
In addition, Amnesty requested that police negligence that caused victims in the January 2, 2025 case be given serious attention. "The negligence of officers that resulted in the death of civilians must be processed criminally, not just with ethical sanctions," said Usman.
Amnesty International warned that without comprehensive reform, the cycle of impunity will continue, and the risk of human rights violations by officers will remain high. "True justice can only be realized if impunity ends, and perpetrators of violations are processed transparently," said Usman Hamid.
Commander of the Fleet Command, Vice Admiral TNI Denih Hendrata, stated that the shooting case of the car rental boss was still under investigation. The investigation process is working together with the Banten Regional Police to find a bright spot in the shooting case involving three members of the Indonesian Navy.
"We have just attended the case presentation from the Banten Police and the Banten Police Chief was also present regarding the developments in this case," said Denih Hendrata during a press conference at Mako Armada, Central Jakarta, Monday, January 6, 2025.