Bangun Santoso and Faqih Fathurrahman – Repressive actions by the authorities against a convoy of humanitarian volunteers who wanted to distribute aid for flood victims in Krueng Mane, North Aceh, on Thursday evening December 25 has attracted strong criticism.
Amnesty International Indonesia called the violent incident a reflection of the arrogance of power and a serious violation of human rights.
Amnesty International Executive Director Usman Hamid asserted that the violence allegedly committed by a joint unit of Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police (Polri) officers against civilians cannot be considered just a case of ordinary friction in the field.
According to Hamid, these actions were an attack on humanitarian values.
"The repressive actions allegedly carried out by the joint unit of TNI and Polri officers against volunteers who wanted to distribute aid to Aceh Tamiang reflects the arrogance of power", said Hamid in a statement in Jakarta on Friday December 26.
Hamid said that he regretted that the residents' initiative which was born from the spirit of mutual cooperation was actually responded to with brutal violence. Yet the volunteers were acting to help others who are suffering as a result of the flood and landslide disaster in Aceh.
"The residents' humanitarian initiative were responded to with searches, banning the display of flags, punches, kicks and gun barrels", he added.
Based on videos circulated widely among the public, the level of violence that occurred was extremely worrying. The officers were seen mercilessly beating residents until some of them lay helpless on the ground.
A number of volunteers were even reported to have suffered serious head injuries due to being hit by gun butts. "This is a form of the excessive use of force that cannot be justified by any legal standard", said Hamid.
From a human rights perspective, Amnesty views the incident as a serious violation. All citizens, regardless of the circumstances, have the right to feel safe and free from torture or cruel treatment that degrades human dignity.
The pretext of controlling the now defunct Free Aceh Movement's (GAM) star and crescent moon flag or dealing with traffic disturbances is considered to be completely out of proportion to the brutality displayed.
When state officials who are supposed to protect people instead use thuggish methods against unarmed civilians, the state has basically failed to carry out its main mandate to maintain the safety of its citizens.
Furthermore, Hamid emphasised that this act was not only physical abuse, but also a violation of the right to humanitarian assistance.
The volunteer convoy, according to Hamid, was a manifestation of public disappointment with the central government's response, which is considered to have been slow in dealing with the flood disaster in Aceh.
"By obstructing aid and mistreating volunteers, the authorities indirectly worsened the suffering of disaster victims in Aceh Tamiang and other areas who were waiting for help", he explained.
For this reason, Amnesty is urging that impunity should no longer be allowed to flourish. An investigation that is independent, transparent and involves institutions such as the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) is an absolute necessity to investigate the incident thoroughly and bring the perpetrators to justice.
"The state must stop using a militaristic security approach in responding to civilian initiatives, especially in the midst of a disaster", he asserted.
Hamid also added that the state has an obligation to guarantee the safety of all humanitarian volunteers. This is important so that logistics distribution for disaster victims is no hampered by intimidation or violence in the field.
Access to assistance from any party must be opened as widely as possible for the safety of residents.
Earlier, it was reported that a violent incident erupted when joint TNI and Polri forces stopped a convoy of aid trucks travelling from Krueng Mane in North Aceh to a disaster location in Aceh Tamiang on Thursday evening.
The search by the officers that focused on the contents of the vehicles and attributes, especially the GAM star and crescent moon flag, which is a symbol in Aceh, triggered tensions that led to repressive actions. As a result, at least five civilians were reported to have fallen victim to physical violence.
– The Amnesty International Indonesia statement can be read here in Bahasa Indonesia: https://www.amnesty.id/kabar-terbaru/siaran-pers/usut-tuntas-kekerasan-atas-relawan-kemanusiaan-di-aceh/12/2025/
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Amnesty International Kutuk Keras Represi Aparat ke Relawan Bantuan Aceh: Arogansi Kekuasaan".]
