The Basipae indigenous people from East Nusa Tenggara were intimidated, a day after their traditional clothes were worn by President Jokowi during the 75th Indonesian Independence Day commemoration ceremony.
A number of unscrupulous members of Brimob, TNI and Satpol PP destroyed emergency houses belonging to the indigenous people of Besipae, which are located in Amnuban Selatan Sub-district, South Central Timor Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province.
They did this because the indigenous people of Besipae refused to leave the land they had occupied for a long time.
The incident occurred on Tuesday (18 August 2020) this morning.
It is suspected that Brimob members fired warning shots, causing a number of children and indigenous Besipae mothers to hysteria.
In fact, one day before the incident, President Joko Widodo alias Jokowi used the traditional clothes of South Central Timor, NTT Province.
Precisely during the flag-raising ceremony to commemorate the 75th Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia, at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Monday (17 August 2020).
Ahmad Bumi as the advocate for the indigenous people of Besipae, when contacted by Suara.com, Tuesday (18/8/2020) evening, stated that a number of Satpol PP officers of the NTT Provincial Government along with Brimob and Babinsa destroyed emergency houses established by the Besipae indigenous people.
The makeshift houses made of thatch were erected after their permanent shelter had been destroyed.
“Living under a tree and building a makeshift house. But this morning the emergency house was demolished again,” he added.
A few months before this incident occurred, in May 2020, a number of women from the Besipae indigenous people also performed topless actions.
This action was carried out as a form of rejection of the NTT Provincial Government for making an effort to force the indigenous people of Besipae to vacate the land where they live.
Apart from intimidating treatment, two Besipae indigenous peoples, namely Korenelius Numley (64) and Anton Tanu (18) were criminalized by the local police.
They were arrested without a letter and no clear reason.
