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Video of clash between farmers and TNI in Kebumen released
Detik.com - April 20, 2011
The 1 minute 59 second video only depicts two scenes. The first is a scene of farmers planting rice. The picture cuts out and is then followed by a scene of TNI members wearing camouflage uniforms chasing and beating the farmers.
When Detik.com spoke with TAPUK chairperson Teguh Purnomo on April 20 at the Democracy and Legal Advocacy Study Central Leadership Legal Aid Foundation secretariat on Jl. Nusa Tenggara in Kebumen, he said that the video is evidence of the TNI's brutality against residents and farmers.
"Since yesterday we have indeed been sure that what was said by the military, that residents were brutal, is untrue. So the TNI making out as if it was local residents that provoked the clash, as if they provoked the clash, is untrue", asserted Purnomo.
Purnomo stated that it can be seen from the video that it was the TNI that was proactive in committing the violence against local residents and farmers who were working in the fields. It was these residents that are believed to have committed the vandalism from outside the army's Research and Development Office in the village of Setrojenar, Bulus Pesantren sub-district, Kebumen regency, East Java.
"We will continue to look for evidence scattered on the ground and will compile the fragments of evidence that will be our reference for providing assistance for as long as the legal process continues", said Purnomo.
A similar view was conveyed by TAPUK coordinator Yusuf Sumarto who said that the video shows that the military acted brutally towards farmers from the Setrojenar village.
"You can see. The farmer in a red T-shirts who is on the edge of the rice paddy and is approached by soldiers is the Setrojenar village chief who is planting rice in the field, who is now in hospital after becoming a victim of the military's brutality", asserted Sumarto.
Sumarto explained that there are other videos that show the military's brutality against residents and farmers. "However, we must put it away as supporting material for the legal process that is still proceeding", he said.
There were in fact three videos recorded by NGO friends that were incorporated by TAPUK. This includes a video camera owned by Devi, a semester eight University of Indonesia student who was conducting research when the clash broke out. During the incident the camera was seized by the TNI or police and despite requests has still not been returned.
"Their reason is that it's evidence. Yet at camera is not a tool to commit violence right. Why did they seize it", said Sumarto. (fay/fay)
[Translated by James Balowski.]
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