President Sees Penitentiary Raid As Attack On State Authority

Jakarta, March 26 (Antara) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said the raid last week on a penitentiary in Cebongan in the district of Sleman, Yogyakarta, was an attack on state authority. "Besides seriously threatening the public`s sense of security the raid has also damaged the general public`s trust in the law supremacy," presidential special aide for political communication Daniel Sparingga said quoting the head of state here on Tuesday. A group of armed and masked men raided a penitentiary in Cebongan last Saturday and killed four suspects allegedly involved in the killing days before of a member of an army`s special force Kopassus, first sergeant Santoso (31), in Hugo`s Cafe in Maguwoharjo, Sleman, that the police had detained and put in the penitentiary. Daniel said the President has ordered the national police chief, General Timur Pradopo, to unveil the perpetrators and assure that all involved in the raid were brought to justice. He said President Yudhoyono had also instructed the commander of the defense forces, Admiral Agus Suhartono, to assure that all his men would give full cooperation to help the police unveil the identities of the perpetrators. The President said the state authority must be restored and public`s confidence in the rule of law must not drop due to the incident, he said. President Yudhoyono has received reports about the incident from the coordinating minister of legal, security and political affairs, Djoko Suyanto and been told that the national police headquarter was leading the investigation. He said President Yudhoyono also received information every minute and assured that progress was made to lead to the disclosure of the attackers. "The President has also called on the people to support the investigation and monitor it," he said. A team from the National Commission on Human Rights visited the penitentiary on Tuesday as part of the commission`s investigation into the case. The commission`s chief, Siti Nurlela, said they came to collect data and information as well as evidence about the incident. "We will also meet with parties concerned including local government officials in connection with the case," she said. She said the commission would investigate the case because it was a serious human rights violation.