Mesuji, Bima Incidents Peaks of Old Cases: House Speaker

Jakarta - House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Marzuki Alie said the incidents that happened in Mesuji, Lampung, and Sape, Bima, West Nusa Tenggara, were actually old cases that came to a head only now. "(We must be) proportional in viewing these cases. They are all cases dating back to 1997 and 1998. They are not new ones. They have now come to a head because of reform. In those days, people were afraid to express their aspirations in demonstrations but it is different now when people can freely demonstrate to demand their rights or others' rights," he said at the parliament building here on Wednesday. Therefore, he called on all the parties concerned to proceed wisely and use a clear mind in viewing the cases and not only blame the police. "Land disputes usually also involve provocateurs and middlemen," he said. About the fact that a lot of criticism had been levelled at National Police Chief General Timur Pradopo over the incidents, Marzuki said they had better be referred to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for evaluation. "It is the President who evaluates. The DPR only confirms. Certainly the legal commission (Commission III) will evaluate to see whether mistakes have been made by the National Police chief or not, or whether it was only the tip of an iceberg that broke only now while he is national police chief," he said. He said people have always thought negatively about the police when incidents happen. "However when a police officer falls victim no one sends condolences. Some officers have been stabbed, killed but we have so far considered it as a mere consequence for being police officers. This is wrong. Police officers are also human beings. They also have families. We must not always blame the police for every incident that has happened. There are also good and bad police officers," he said. Marzuki said city public order officers could sometimes act in even more brutal ways than the police. (*)