A journalist with the Tribun Timur daily was beaten by supporters of controversial Gowa Regent Ichsan Yasin Limpo during a protest rally in front of the regent’s official residence Monday.
The journalist, who the police identified only as Edi, was attacked as he was covering a clash between the regent’s supporters and supporters of the opposition candidates, who lost out to Ichsan in the recent regency election.
Edi was asked by Ichsan supporters to produce ID, but he replied that he was a journalist covering the clash, it was reported. He was then set upon and beaten by several assailants.
“When I was about to open my bag to take out my ID, I was hit from behind,” Edi said as quoted by Kompas.com news portal.
He said he did not know who hit him, but that he would likely be able to identify his attacker if provided with a police lineup of 30 people.
Gowa regental administration spokesman Arifuddin Saeni said he deplored the incident and apologized on behalf of the regional government.
“We are sorry as the masses did not know each other,” he said.
Edi sustained a number of wounds to his face and body. The brawl also involved civil servants and police officers.
Ichsan’s reelection has been the subject of great controversy since it was revealed that he applied to run as a candidate using a falsified junior high-school diploma.
Two clashes occurred on the day; the first broke out at about 11 a.m. local time when two groups started throwing rocks at each other.
The first group of protesters made a speech, in which they demanded the resignation of Ichsan. A rock was thrown into the group, which then began throwing rocks back.
Police and Mobile Brigade members broke up the brawl about 20 minutes later.
The second clash broke out at about 3 p.m., when police fired tear gas into a crowd of protesters.
The protesters attacked the police using stones, bamboo poles and spears. They also unfurled banners depicting the Gowa Kingdom.
The police arrested dozens of protesters from both groups.
Many have demanded that Ichsan, who is the younger brother of South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo, be named a suspect in the alleged forgery of his junior high-school diploma, a case in which several other people have been named suspect.
An administration officer at junior high school SMPN 27 has been named a suspect for allegedly issuing the bogus diploma, as has the headmaster of state high school SMPN 27 and a courier who was allegedly in charge of processing the fake diploma.
The results of a forensic investigation led by the National Police headquarters concluded that Ichsan was not registered as a participant in the final exams at SMPN 27 in 1976.
The number 1191 on Ichsan’s diploma suggests that it actually belonged to Abdul Rahman, who died before the exams were held in 1976.
“If the police have named three suspects in the diploma forgery, why hasn’t Ichsan, as the user of the fake diploma, been questioned and named as another suspect?” protest coordinator Amiruddin said Monday.
“We are fed up with the case as it is time consuming and arduous,” he said.
Amiruddin said the protesters had held up Gowa Kingdom flags because what they sought to defend the dignity of the Gowa Kingdom.
The Gowa people do not want to be led by an immoral regent who got his position by using a fake diploma, he said, adding that the regent had tarnished the national education system.
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