Yogyakarta crackdown leaves dozens unreachable

Detailed summary

Rights groups have called for an independent investigation into alleged excessive force and arbitrary arrests during a protest in Yogyakarta that descended into violence on Tuesday night, with dozens of demonstrators reportedly still unaccounted for on Wednesday.

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ights groups have called for an independent investigation into alleged excessive force and arbitrary arrests during a protest in Yogyakarta that descended into violence on Tuesday night, with dozens of demonstrators reportedly still unaccounted for on Wednesday.

Amnesty International Indonesia urged National Police chief Gen. Suyudi Ario Seto to investigate alleged police brutality, halt arbitrary arrests and ensure detainees can contact their families and access legal and medical assistance.

The Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Yogyakarta said it had received 64 complaints from demonstrators as of Wednesday morning. Of those, 47 people had been detained, 13 remained unreachable, two were hospitalized and only two had returned home. Police, meanwhile, said they had detained 154 people.

Amnesty executive director Usman Hamid said the violence, which followed an initially peaceful demonstration marking the National Heroes' Day, raised concerns over the deployment of military personnel and alleged security operations inside university grounds.

He also warned of a possible pattern in which unidentified groups provoked violence at night, undermining peaceful demonstrations held earlier in the day.

"Often, the problem is not whether demonstrators have acted violently, but rather excessive security measures and restrictions," Usman said in a statement on Wednesday.

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