A red-and-white flag has flown at half-mast at the East Java Police headquarters in Surabaya for a week as a sign of mourning over the series of attacks by terror convicts and detainees.
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ANTARA FOTO/M RISYAL HIDAYAT
Police members stay on guard at a house after the arrest of a suspected terrorist in Dukuh Pakis, Surabaya, East Java, on Tuesday (15/5/2018). The National Police’s Counterterrorism Squad, Densus 88, arrested a woman and a toddler.
A red-and-white flag has flown at half-mast at the East Java Police headquarters in Surabaya for a week as a sign of mourning over the series of attacks by terror convicts and detainees.
It was lowered after the two-day riot and hostage-taking of police officers by terror detainees at the National Police’s Mobile Brigade headquarters (Mako Brimob) detention center in Kelapa Dua, Depok, West Java, last week.
The National Police grieved after five of its personnel died in the riot. Another police officer was stabbed by a terror group sympathizer using a poison-laced knife last Friday.
Meanwhile, a number of police personnel were injured in suicide bombings at three churches in Surabaya on Sunday and then at the city’s police headquarters the next day. However, none of these events seem to have eroded the police’s humanitarian spirit.
Several children of the Surabaya bombers are being treated at the Bhayangkara HS Samsoeri Mertojoso Police Hospital in Surabaya. Their hospital room and the health care facilities they receive are the same as those for police personnel and locals injured in the bombings.
One example is 7-year-old AAP, the daughter of the Surabaya Police headquarters bomber. AAP survived while her parents and two older brothers died in the blast on Monday (14/5/2018). A number of female police personnel continue to accompany AAP in her hospital room.
AAP was taken to the hospital by Surabaya Police narcotics investigation division chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Rony Faisal Faton. After the bombs on the bodies of AAP’s parents and two older brothers exploded, Rony fearlessly carried AAP – who he saw was still able to stand – to safety.
“My only goal was to save her. It’s just basic humanity. I was saddened after I saw a little girl with blood all over her body,” Rony said.
Other than AAP, the East Java Police is also treating a girl and a boy, identified as FPH, 11, and HA, 10, respectively. They were the children of Anton Febrianto who died after bombs exploded inside his apartment unit in Wonocolo, Sidoarjo regency, East Java. Anton, his wife and one of his children died in the explosion.
A show of humanitarian spirit by police officers is nothing new. In August last year, First Insp. Sulastri helped female terror convict Dian Yuli Novi as she went through labor. Afterwards, Sulastri took care of Dian’s baby. The baby was delivered in the Mako Brimob detention center, where Dian was serving her seven-and-half-year prison sentence.
“First Insp. Sulastri, who helped Dian deliver and take care of her baby, was among the victims in the Mako Brimob riot,” said National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian.
However, it seemed that no good deed went unpunished for Sulastri. Last week, she was taken hostage and then tortured by a number of terror detainees at the Mako Brimob detention center. She suffered from bruises on her body and lost several of her teeth.
Respect human rights
A call to attack police personnel was made by Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) leader Aman Abdurrahamn in Batu, East Java, on November 2015. Aman also ordered attacks on police personnel in his book Seri Materi Tauhid (Study Materials on the Oneness of God).
Despite being on high alert, Tito has ordered his officers not to forget their priority tasks of protecting and serving the people. This was the basis of terror prevention operations, including in resolving the riot at Mako Brimob last week.
“We have human rights standards, in line with international standards. We prioritize issuing warnings first. Firm action is only given when [terrorists] threaten the safety of police personnel,” Tito said.
Lastly, the National Police will continuously increase its vigilance to maintain the safety of the people and its personnel. However, this vigilance will not undermine their humanitarian spirit as part of the Indonesian community.
