Thalita Dewanty, Andi Muttya, Keteng Pangerang, Jakarta – The Advocacy Team for Democracy (TAUD) has reported findings regarding alleged irregularities in the handling of the demonstrations on Thursday August 27 and Friday August 28.
TAUD highlighted the deployment of a mysterious group of people wearing white headbands, which allegedly was deliberately manipulated and facilitated by authorities to attack demonstrators and the general public.
The group wearing white headbands crossed the toll road without paying at toll road gates and rode with escorts at certain points.
"They travelled in a convoy, passing along the toll road easily, and at several points were accompanied by officers who gave thumbs-up signs as the group wearing white headbands sang along the way", said TAUD member Gema Gita Persada at the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) office in Kwitang, Central Jakarta, on Monday August 31.
TAUD identified at least three waves of groups wearing white headbands operating in different areas.
The first and second waves used trucks and buses. This group conducted violent sweeps along the area in front of the House of Representatives (DPR) and Pejompongan in Central Jakarta.
Then, the third wave, a group of well-built men wearing white headbands, separately launched attacks on Jalan KS Tubun and Pejompongan Raya.
"TAUD found that there was a group of well-built men wearing white headbands", said Persada.
These violent actions not only targeted demonstrators, but also local residents and workers who happened to be at the scene.
These organised groups are strongly suspected of being involved in the assault that claimed the life of Bambang Setiawan, a mirror seller, and several others being injured.
Persada believes the deployment of these groups was a systematic tactic to create conflict between community groups and obscure accountability for security measures by the state.
"We believe this was a form of or attempt by the state to widen horizontal conflicts and as an effort by the state to reduce or eliminate accountability mechanisms by the state itself", asserted Persada..
TAUD is still investigating and verifying information regarding the identities and mechanisms of these organised groups.
Kontras coordinator Dimas Bagus Arya revealed that there are indications of the involvement of certain parties who, from the outset, held differing views from the August 27 protesters.
"We are still unsure about the real identity of this group and the facilities they had, whether they were state-sponsored or facilitated by the state or state officials, or also quotation mark whether there was inaction by security forces", said Arya.
Aside from this, monitoring on social media and in the field indicates the circulation of blunt weapons such as bamboo sticks, lengths of wood and batons carried by these organised groups when they launched the violent actions.
Based on these findings, TAUD is urging the state to take full responsibility and thoroughly investigate the masterminds behind the deployment of the white-headbanded groups that triggered civilian casualties.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "KontraS-TAUD Soroti Dugaan Pengerahan Kelompok Berikat Kepala Putih Saat Demo 27 Agustus".]
