Monday, September 21, 2015

Jopi,Environmental Activist Murdered in South Jakarta

A stark reminder of the dangers in activism work. When I first read about Jopi, I wonder how many have died while fighting for causes. So I searched the internet and found some information.

According to Global Witness, [1] 908 people were murdered for taking a stand to defend the environment between 2002 - 2013 and with a much higher murder rate in 2009-2013. The report says that nearly have of the murders occurred in Brazil (448 in all) and over two-thirds-661 involved land conflict. 

Remembering Environmental Activist, Jopi Peranginangin. Jopi was stabbed by a group when he left a cafe in Kemang, South Jakarta. He died from bleeding in his lungs. It is August / Sept now and I wonder if the assailants are arrested. It seems at this time only one person was arrested.

[...] A number of witnesses, however, expressed their disappointment during the reconstruction as they insisted that there were other people who beat Jopi that night and they demanded that POMAL find and arrest the other unidentified persons.

“The suspect is the one who stabbed Jopi that night, but shortly before that he was beaten up by four, if not five, other men,” a witness said. - See more at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/06/12/activist-murdered-only-one-drunk-navy-member-pomal.html#sthash.XYacwsea.dpuf [...]

Tragedy like Jopi's case should not have happened at all. I want to remember Jopi and all those who have died in their struggle for their causes. (Below is the report on Jopi's murder). 


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According to Muhammad Iqbal, spokesman of the Jakarta Police, Jopi had been trying to break a chaotic fight which took place at the cafe's parking lot.

"The victim was beaten up and one of the suspects stabbed him until he fell on the ground," said Iqbal as quoted by Detik.com.
Iqbal said the police suspected four to seven people involved in the incident, but are yet to identify the identities and the initial cause of the fight.
At least four witnesses are currently being questioned by the police, including two of the cafe's security guards, CNNIndonesia reported.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/06/12/activist-murdered-only-one-drunk-navy-member-pomal.html




Jopi Peranginangin was renowned for his activist work to end illegal deforestation for palm plantations. 

Environmental Activist Murdered in South Jakarta: Reports

By : Jakarta Globe | on 06:50 AM May 23, 2015 
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/05/25/ngos-demand-swift-transparent-probe-activist-s-murder.html

Jakarta. An environmental activist has been stabbed to death by a group of unknown assailants in South Jakarta early Saturday morning.


Jopi Peranginangin, an activist with the Alliance of Indigenous Peoples of the Archipelago [AMAN], died on Saturday at 6 a.m. at Pertamina Hospital in Jakarta due to a bleeding in his lungs, just a few hours after a group of unidentified attackers knifed him in the back as he left a cafĂ© in Kemang, South Jakarta.

“We have received the report and we are now investigating the case,” said Sr. Comr. Wahyu Hadiningrat, chief of South Jakarta Resort Police, on Saturday as quoted by news portal Tribunnews.com.

According to Muhammad Iqbal, spokesman of the Jakarta Police, Jopi had been trying to break a chaotic fight which took place at the cafe's parking lot.

"The victim was beaten up and one of the suspects stabbed him until he fell on the ground," said Iqbal as quoted by Detik.com.

Iqbal said the police suspected four to seven people involved in the incident, but are yet to identify the identities and the initial cause of the fight.

At least four witnesses are currently being questioned by the police, including two of the cafe's security guards, CNNIndonesia reported.

Jopi’s body is scheduled to go under post-mortem examination at the National Police Hospital in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta, according to Tempo.co.

Born in 1976 in Kisaran, North Sumatra, Jopi was known for his intense criticism of palm oil companies which violate their working permits and concession areas approved by the Indonesian government.


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