SEMARANG,RAKYAT NEWS – Amnesty International Indonesia has called for urgent investigations and accountability following two separate incidents in which police officers fatally shot civilians in Semarang and West Bangka on Sunday, November 24, 2024.

Usman Hamid, the Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia, responded strongly to these incidents, highlighting a worrying trend of police violence in the country.

“These two shootings in Semarang and West Bangka underscore a deeply concerning pattern of police brutality. These incidents follow closely on the heels of the recent case in South Solok, West Sumatra, where a senior police officer shot a junior officer. The rapid succession of these events raises important questions about the state of law enforcement in Indonesia,” Hamid stated.

The two incidents are raising alarm about the growing use of lethal force by the police. In particular, there is increasing concern that firearms, which should be a last resort in law enforcement, are becoming the primary method of handling situations, resulting in unnecessary loss of life.

The shooting in Semarang involved three individuals on motorcycles—identified as G, S, and A—who were reportedly shot early in the morning around 1 a.m. The victims, all students at a local vocational school, were allegedly shot after their motorcycle grazed a police vehicle. G, the victim who was fatally shot, succumbed to gunshot wounds to his hip, while S and A were injured but survived. Both S and A are currently receiving medical treatment in a hospital.

Semarang police have suggested that the shooting occurred during an attempt to break up a gang fight, with the victims allegedly being part of one of the gangs involved. However, a security guard at the scene disputes this account, claiming there was no gang conflict at the time. The police are continuing their investigation into the incident, but the conflicting statements have raised serious doubts about the justification for the use of lethal force.

YouTube player