JAKARTA, RAKYAT NEWS – In light of recent incidents involving police violence, wrongful arrests, torture, sexual abuse, and extrajudicial killings across various cities in Indonesia, Amnesty International Indonesia has issued a strong call for comprehensive reform within the Indonesian National Police (Polri).

Usman Hamid, Executive Director of Amnesty International Indonesia said,
“What we have witnessed in recent days is a series of grave violations committed by state officials who are supposed to protect and serve the public. The police are trained, equipped, and funded by the state to safeguard citizens, not to engage in extrajudicial killings, as alleged in North Sulawesi, or wrongful arrests and abuse, as reported in the case of a snail collector in Central Java.

The root cause of these recurring incidents of police violence is the culture of impunity within the police force. This impunity has become systemic, as Polri appears to turn a blind eye to human rights violations committed by its officers. These cases must serve as a serious wake-up call for the police to initiate immediate and comprehensive reforms.

Each case must be thoroughly and transparently investigated, and the perpetrators must be held criminally accountable to deliver justice to the victims and their families. Furthermore, deeper institutional reforms within Polri are urgently needed to prevent the recurrence of such violence in the future.

Without serious evaluation from the President, the House of Representatives (DPR), the National Police Commission (Kompolnas), and judicial oversight, it is no surprise that similar cases continue to occur. Reform within the police force must involve systemic changes, not just revisions to regulations or superficial training. Without real accountability at the leadership level of Polri, any efforts to curb violence by law enforcement will be in vain.”

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