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INDONESIA: Man beaten to death by sector police in Tangerang

May 22, 2007

Indonesian Bahasa

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ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION – URGENT APPEALS PROGRAMME

Urgent Appeal

23 May 2007
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UA-169-2007: INDONESIA: Man beaten to death by sector police in Tangerang

INDONESIA: Torture; death of a person in police custody; police brutality; denial of detainee's rights
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Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from our local partner in Jakarta regarding the death of Teguh Uripno, a man who was brutally tortured by officers attached to Serpong sector police in Tangerang district on 20 April 2007. Uripno was detained at the police headquarters following his arrests for defending himself against a police officer who attacked him for reasons unknown. While in police custody, the victim's family was refused permission to visit him. They learned later that he died from injuries on his way to a hospital.

CASE DETAILS:

Following Teguh Uripno's arrest at around 11:00 am on April 20, his family immediately went to the Serpong police station. When they arrived at the police station, they were prevented from seeing the victim so they returned the following morning, April 21. However, once again they were not allowed to see the victim. No sufficient reasons were given to them by the police as to why they were not allowed to meet him.

At around 3:30 pm on April 21, police representatives went to the house of the victim’s family and informed them that he had died while being taken to a local hospital. The family immediately went to the hospital and upon arrival they found marks of severe beating on the body. Medical reports indicate his body showed several torture marks, his arm was broken, he had a fractured skull and severe bruising. The cause of his death was due to blunt force trauma to his skull.

It is reported that two police officers, namely First Brigadier Police' Syarifudin and Arifin, allegedly perpetrated the brutal beating of the victim while he was in their custody. Seven other police officers, whose names are yet to be identified, have likewise been accused as accomplices. Despite the gravity of the victim's case there has not been any substantial progress, not have any charges been filed against the alleged perpetrators.

Although the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) of Tangerang has already commenced their investigation the process by which it is being conducted is not satisfactory. The Uripno family likewise already filed a formal complaint with Komnas Ham (National Human Rights Commission), who in turn demanded an investigation. However, the Serpong police have yet to make any serious investigation into the case.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the authorities listed below expressing your grave concern regarding the death of Teguh Uripno. The authorities must exhaust all means to ensure that a credible investigation is conducted to guarantee that the perpetrators are effectively prosecuted. The victim's family must also be afforded appropriate compensation without further delay.

Suggested letter:

Dear __________,

INDONESIA: Man beaten to death by sector police in Tangerang

Name of the victim: Teguh Uripno, a resident of Tangerang district
Alleged perpetrators: First Brigadier Police' Syarifudin and Arifin and other seven unnamed police officers, all attached to the Serpong Sector Police
Date of incident: 20 to 21 April 2007
Place of incident: Serpong Sector Police Headquarters, Tangerang district

I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the brutal death of Teguh Uripno, who was beaten to death by officers of the Serpong sector police at their station headquarters on 20 April 2007 in Tangerang district. Uripno was arrested after defending himself against a police officer who tried to attack him for unknown reason. He was handcuffed and taken into police custody. He was then allegedly brutally beaten for several minutes by police officers.

When Uripno's family was informed of his arrest, they immediately rushed to the Serpong police station but they were prevented from seeing him. They went again to the police station the following morning, April 21, but they were once again denied permission to see him. At around 3:30 pm, police representatives went to the victim family's home informing them he had already died while being taken to a local hospital. They victim's dead body had several torture marks, a broken arm, fractured skull and severe bruises. His cause of death was due to blunt force trauma to the skull.

The Uripno family filed a formal complaint with Komnas Ham (National Human Rights Commission), who in turn demanded for an investigation into the case. The Serpong police, however, have yet to give further information on the circumstances of the victim's death. The progress of investigation is likewise not given to the victim's family. Furthermore, I also urge that the reason and the identity of the police officers who attacked the victim prior to his arrest should also be investigated.

I therefore strongly urge you to apply necessary pressure ensure that an effective investigation in this case is conducted, and to exhaust all means that alleged perpetrators attached to the Serpong District Police are effectively prosecuted. In addition, adequate compensation should be given to the victim's family without further delay.

I understand that Indonesia had just been reelected to the UN Human Rights Council. As a result of this reelection, I urged the government to show its sincerity to protect and uphold the highest standards on human rights for its citizens by proving to make its pledges into reality, in particular to guarantee that perpetrators in Uripno's case are held to account and victim's family obtain redress. More importantly, flagrant abuses by persons in authority should not be tolerated.

The Indonesian government ratified the Convention against Torture in 1998 but has so far refused to pass appropriate legislation criminalizing torture with proper punishment. To prevent further acts of torture the government must pass proper legislation and punish the perpetrators without allowing the culture of impunity to continue.

I look forward to your prompt and effective response in this matter.

Yours sincerely,


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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

1. Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudoyono
President
Republic of Indonesia
Presidential Palace
Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara
Jakarta Pusat 10010
INDONESIA
Tel: + 62 21 3845627 ext 1003
Fax: + 62 21 231 41 38, 345 2685, 345 7782

2. Mr. Hendarman Supandji
Attorney General
Kejaksaan Agung RI
Jl. Sultan Hasanuddin No. 1
Jakarta Selatan
INDONESIA
Tel: + 62 21 7221337, 7397602
Fax: + 62 21 7250213

3. Gen. Sutanto
Chief of National Police
Jl. Trunojoyo No. 3
Jakarta Selatan
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 721 8012
Fax: +62 21 720 7277

4. Mr. Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara
Chairperson
KOMNAS HAM (National Human Rights Commission)
Jl. Latuharhary No. 4B Menteng
Jakarta Pusat 10310
INDONESIA
Tel: +62 21 3925230
Fax: +62 21 3151042/3925227

5. Mr. Philip Alston
Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Executions
Atten: Lydie Ventre
Room 3-016
OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9155
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (general)

6. Prof. Manfred Nowak
Special Rapporteur on the Question of Torture
Attn: Safir Syed
c/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9230
Fax: +41 22 917 9016 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR TORTURE)


Thank you.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)

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Urgent Appeal Case
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UA-169-2007
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Extended Introduction: Urgent Appeals, theory and practice

A need for dialogue

Many people across Asia are frustrated by the widespread lack of respect for human rights in their countries.  Some may be unhappy about the limitations on the freedom of expression or restrictions on privacy, while some are affected by police brutality and military killings.  Many others are frustrated with the absence of rights on labour issues, the environment, gender and the like. 

Yet the expression of this frustration tends to stay firmly in the private sphere.  People complain among friends and family and within their social circles, but often on a low profile basis. This kind of public discourse is not usually an effective measure of the situation in a country because it is so hard to monitor. 

Though the media may cover the issues in a broad manner they rarely broadcast the private fears and anxieties of the average person.  And along with censorship – a common blight in Asia – there is also often a conscious attempt in the media to reflect a positive or at least sober mood at home, where expressions of domestic malcontent are discouraged as unfashionably unpatriotic. Talking about issues like torture is rarely encouraged in the public realm.

There may also be unwritten, possibly unconscious social taboos that stop the public reflection of private grievances.  Where authoritarian control is tight, sophisticated strategies are put into play by equally sophisticated media practices to keep complaints out of the public space, sometimes very subtly.  In other places an inner consensus is influenced by the privileged section of a society, which can control social expression of those less fortunate.  Moral and ethical qualms can also be an obstacle.

In this way, causes for complaint go unaddressed, un-discussed and unresolved and oppression in its many forms, self perpetuates.  For any action to arise out of private frustration, people need ways to get these issues into the public sphere.

Changing society

In the past bridging this gap was a formidable task; it relied on channels of public expression that required money and were therefore controlled by investors.  Printing presses were expensive, which blocked the gate to expression to anyone without money.  Except in times of revolution the media in Asia has tended to serve the well-off and sideline or misrepresent the poor.

Still, thanks to the IT revolution it is now possible to communicate with large audiences at little cost.  In this situation there is a real avenue for taking issues from private to public, regardless of the class or caste of the individual.

Practical action

The AHRC Urgent Appeals system was created to give a voice to those affected by human rights violations, and by doing so, to create a network of support and open avenues for action.  If X’s freedom of expression is denied, if Y is tortured by someone in power or if Z finds his or her labour rights abused, the incident can be swiftly and effectively broadcast and dealt with. The resulting solidarity can lead to action, resolution and change. And as more people understand their rights and follow suit, as the human rights consciousness grows, change happens faster. The Internet has become one of the human rights community’s most powerful tools.   

At the core of the Urgent Appeals Program is the recording of human rights violations at a grass roots level with objectivity, sympathy and competence. Our information is firstly gathered on the ground, close to the victim of the violation, and is then broadcast by a team of advocates, who can apply decades of experience in the field and a working knowledge of the international human rights arena. The flow of information – due to domestic restrictions – often goes from the source and out to the international community via our program, which then builds a pressure for action that steadily makes its way back to the source through his or her own government.   However these cases in bulk create a narrative – and this is most important aspect of our program. As noted by Sri Lankan human rights lawyer and director of the Asian Human Rights Commission, Basil Fernando:

"The urgent appeal introduces narrative as the driving force for social change. This idea was well expressed in the film Amistad, regarding the issue of slavery. The old man in the film, former president and lawyer, states that to resolve this historical problem it is very essential to know the narrative of the people. It was on this basis that a court case is conducted later. The AHRC establishes the narrative of human rights violations through the urgent appeals. If the narrative is right, the organisation will be doing all right."

Patterns start to emerge as violations are documented across the continent, allowing us to take a more authoritative, systemic response, and to pinpoint the systems within each country that are breaking down. This way we are able to discover and explain why and how violations take place, and how they can most effectively be addressed. On this path, larger audiences have opened up to us and become involved: international NGOs and think tanks, national human rights commissions and United Nations bodies.  The program and its coordinators have become a well-used tool for the international media and for human rights education programs. All this helps pave the way for radical reforms to improve, protect and to promote human rights in the region.