The Indonesian police and military don’t always play nice with each other, and brawls between members of the various factions are known to take place every so often.
The latest incident involved two Bekasi policemen and a truck filled with soldiers from the Indonesian Navy who didn’t take kindly to having their request for directions ignored.
On Saturday afternoon, two officers of the North Bekasi Traffic Police, identified by their initials P and SM, were regulating traffic outside the gates to the Prima Harapan housing complex.
A motorcyclist wearing a navy uniform stopped and asked SM for directions to the nearby military cemetery. But SM, who was busy guiding traffic, ignored his question.
Immediately after, the doors to a truck behind the motorcyclist opened up. It turned out he had been leading a convoy of navy soldiers, all of whom immediately confronted SM for his lack of respect. SM tried to retreat back to his police stall but the navy men surrounded him and started to attack. P attempted to intervene but both police officers ended up getting beaten down.
According to Colonel M Zainuddin, the head of the Navy’s Information Department, the navy members immediately surrendered after committing the assaults and are now in military police custody. He said they would be processed according to applicable laws.
