MER-C Sayangkan Tindakan Represif Polisi terhadap Mahasiswa di AS
Medical Emergency Rescue Committtee (MER-C) menyayangkan tindakan represif polisi terhadap mahasiswa di Amerika Serikat yang menggelar aksi demo untuk mendesak dihentikannya genosida Israel di Jalur Gaza, Palestina. Ketua Presidium MER-C dr. Sarbini Abdul Murad hari Jumat (3/5/2024) mengatakan, demo mahasiswa di sejumlah kampus ternama AS untuk meminta negara tersebut menekan Israel menghentikan serangan di Gaza ini menandakan mahasiswa yang mewakili kaum muda melihat dengan mata hati sehingga meraka paham apa yang dilakukan Israel dan didukung penuh AS adalah genosida. “Tapi yang disayangkan adalah respon polisi yang represif dalam menangani para demonstran sebagai kampium demokrasi. Apa yang dilakukan aparat terhadap para demonstran tidak mencerminkan wajah negara demokrasi,” kata Sarbini. “Dalam hal ini MER-C sebagai organisasi yang konsen dengan kemanusiaan menyerukan agar AS lebih persuasif dan mendengar apa yang disuarakan oleh mahasiswa,” tambahnya. Ia mengatakan, cara pendekatan represif akan menjadi catatan buruk demokrasi yang dipertontonkan AS di etalase dunia. “Sudah selayaknya pemerintah AS mendengarkan aspirasi mereka dan melakukan langkah cepat menghentikan kekejaman Israel di Palestina. Apabila AS mengabaikan tuntutan mahasiswa, kami khawatir gelombang besar ini akan lebih menggema ke seluruh dunia,” ujarnya. Al Jazeera melaporkan, protes yang dilakukan mahasiswa berlangsung damai dan sebagian besar penuh rasa hormat, namun ditanggapi dengan tindakan keras oleh banyak universitas di tengah tuduhan anti-Semitisme. Pihak kampus memanggil petugas keamanan yang datang menyerang massa dan menangkap paksa mahasiswa. Polisi Amerika menangkap lebih dari 900 orang dalam demonstrasi pro-Palestina yang dimulai di beberapa universitas di Amerika sejak tanggal 18 April lalu.
MER-C Sambangi Kedubes Uni Eropa Bahas Gencatan Senjata di Gaza Palestina
Ketua Presidium MER-C, dr. Sarbini Abdul Murad, sambangi Kedutaan Besar Uni Eropa di Jakarta sampaikan masalah krisis kemanusiaan di Palestina, Kamis/14 Desember 2023. Kunjungan ini diterima oleh Anneleen Van Landeghem Sekretaris ke-2 Bagian Politik dan beberapa staf Kedutaan. Dalam pertemuan tersebut, Sarbini menyampaikan apresiasinya atas langkah Uni Eropa yang secara umum telah mendukung upaya gencatan senjata di Palestina. “Kami mengapresiasi Langkah Belgia dan Spanyol serta Uni Eropa secara umum yang mendukung gencatan senjata di Palestina. Uni Eropa telah melakukan hal yang tepat,” ujar Sarbini. Namun ia berharap Uni Eropa sebagai sahabat dan negara yang diperhitungkan oleh Israel dapat mendorong terjadinya gencatan senjata permanen di Jalur Gaza. “Gencatan senjata permanen harus segera dilakukan untuk mencegah terjadinya bencana kemanusiaan yang lebih besar di Palestina. Saya yakin, Uni Eropa dengan kekuatan dan pengaruh yang dimiliki dapat mendorong terjadinya gencatan senjata permanen di Palestina,” lanjutnya. Sementara itu, Sekretaris ke-2 Kedutaan Besar Uni Eropa, Annaleen juga menyampaikan apresiasi, penghormatan dan ucapan terima kasihnya atas apa yang sudah dilakukan MER-C di Jalur Gaza, Palestina. Ia juga menyesalkan korban sipil yang berjatuhan dan penderitaan yang dialami Gaza. Pada pertemuan tersebut, ia mengatakan Uni Eropa melalui perwakilannya di Dewan Keamanan PBB juga terus mengupayakan resolusi gencatan senjata mendesak di Jalur Gaza. Hal ini juga sudah dibicarakan dengan Menteri Luar Negeri RI serta menjadi kesepahaman yang sama antara Uni Eropa dan Indonesia. Ia juga menjelaskan bahwa Uni Eropa telah memberikan dukungan kepada rakyat Palestina sejak lama, termasuk memberikan bantuan-bantuan kemanusiaan yang mencapai ratusan juta euro dari tahun ke tahunnya. “Namun bantuan kemanusiaan hanya bisa bermanfaat apabila terjadi perdamaian di dalam Gaza. Dan, Uni Eropa akan mendukung Palestina merdeka melalui solusi dua negara,” ungkapnya. Ketua Presidium MER-C menyambut baik Langkah-langkah yang telah dilakukan Uni Eropa dan meminta agar Uni Eropa dan negara-negara lainnya di dunia untuk terus aktif menyuarakan gencatan senjata di Gaza dan menciptakan perdamaian serta kemerdekaan bagi Palestina.
Penghancuran Desa Sur Baher, Dunia tidak Boleh Diam
Senin (22/7), serdadu Israel mulai menghancurkan dan meratakan pemukiman Palestina di desa Sur Baher, Jerusalem Timur. Tindakan ini mengakibatkan sejumlah warga Palestina termasuk anak-anak kecil kehilangan tempat tinggal dan dievakuasi secara paksa dari daerah tersebut. Menanggapi hal ini, Ketua Presidium MER-C, Sarbini Abdul Murad menyatakan kecamannya dan mengajak dunia untuk segera menghentikan kebiadaban Israel. “Kami mengecam keras tindakan Israel yang melakukan penghancuran pemukiman warga Palestina. Kami mengajak dunia melakukan langkah tegas dan nyata agar menghentikan kebiadaban Israel yang sudah berkali-kali melanggar hukum Internasional,” ungkap Sarbini. Menurutnya, Indonesia sebagai anggota Dewan Keamanan PBB bisa menginisiasi pertemuan darurat untuk menghentikan kebiadaban Israel terhadap warga Palestina. Info:www.mer-c.org
MER-C Press Conference on 21-23 May 2019 Mass Protest: This is About Humanity
On May 25 2019 MER-C held a press conference regarding the post-election incidents during 21-23 May 2019 mass protest. The conference took place in MER-C HQ, Kramat Lontar, Central Jakarta. MER-C founder, Dr. Joserizal Jurnalis SpOT stated his sadness upon the bloody incident that happened. “Sadness still lingers on our faces due to the violence that was done on 21-23 May 2019.” He said that the casualties in the protest could be considered as “Crimes against Humanity.” Jurnalis said that, even in war situations, civilians must be respected even they are involved in the process of victim evacuations, so that respect is even more obligatory during protests. Particularly, he said that protection and respect should be given to minors, women, and religious figures, as mentioned in the Geneva Convention. “The Geneva Convention also regulates the protection to ambulances in war situations, medical personnel too can never be attacked,” he said while adding that during the tragedy that happened yesterday, some medical personnel and ambulances were brutally attacked by the apparatus. “Yesterday, according to video reports, pictures from medical personnel and on -field MER-C volunteers, it can be seen that the situation was not balanced, for instance the stones that were carried by the protestors were addressed with firearms used by the apparatus.” Yesterday’s incident also evident that the apparatus used firearms, added Jurnalis, while showing evidences of black lead that appeared to hit the bone of a victim, a rubber bullet and a metal bullet. Jurnalis also regrets attacks towards journalists because, according to the doctor who experienced volunteering as a medical personnel during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, attacking journalists at wars is considered to be a crime, so it is even a higher crime to attack journalist in less dangerous situations such as protests. Jurnalis explained further that MER-C would discuss the matter with its lawyers in order to report the incident to foreign institutions. “This is because MER-C is a universal NGO, so we will take this matter to the ICC or ICJ and UNHRC.” Lastly, Jurnalis ended the press conference by saying that this is a humanitarian issue, which must be respected, and he sees that that sense of humanity was overlooked during the protest. MER-C Press Release Have Respect for Live, Notes of the Mass Protest on 21-23 May 2019 from Medical and Humanitarian Point of View The event that took place from May 21 until early morning of 23, 2019 has left a deep wound for the people of Indonesia, particularly to those who upholds the human lives disregard from political affiliation, ethnicity, etc. Many people lost their lives, while others had to suffer from light to heavy traumas. The price of this year ‘s election appeared to be very high. While we are still trying to finalize the matter behind the death of more than 600 electoral commission and thousand others who fell ill, now the people of Indonesia as the holder of the nation’s sovereignty had to be faced again with the death of the children of the nation who wanted to voice their aspiration. The Governor of DKI Jakarta had released that there were 8 casualties during the mass protest that went violent and as much as 737 people who suffered from wounds (data per Thursday/23 May 2019, 11 AM). 93 of them suffered from non-traumatic wounds and 79 suffered from heavy injuries. There were also 462 people who suffered from light injuries and identification of their wounds is still going. Most of the victims comprised of young people were between 20-29 years of age (294 people), and as much as 170 people comprised of those under the age of 19 years of age. MER-C as a medical emergency, humanitarian and disaster social institution deployed its volunteers on 21-23 May 2019. More than 30 volunteers that were made of doctors, nurses, medical logistic personnel as well as 4 operational vehicles were prepared to provide medical assistance for the victims both from the people and from the apparatus. MER-C condemns the government and the apparatus’ repressive acts in addressing protestors that overlooked the humanitarian values and International Conventions. Below are our notes from the 21-23 May 2019 mass protest from the medical and humanitarian points of view: 1. The protestors were addressed with violence and guns. Some of the apparatus were also found to – The shooting of minors – The chasing of protestors into places of worship – The acts of close-range shootings – The shooting of protestors who have fallen – Not using water canon in advance, but directly using tear gas, rubber bullets and metal bullets. 2. Medical volunteers In the Geneva Convention, medical personnel are the party who must be protected in the situation of wars and conflicts. Apparatus were also supposed to be the protectors when medical staffs are conducting their duties. But in yesterday’s protest it appeared that the police seemed to hinder medical personnel in conducting evacuations, and ambulances were also not given access to the areas of conflict. Article 24 of the Geneva Convention 1949 states that “Medical personnel exclusively engaged in the search for, or the collection, transport or treatment of the wounded or sick, or in the prevention of disease, staff exclusively engaged in the administration of medical units and establishments, as well as chaplains attached to the armed forces, shall be respected and protected in all circumstances. Article 20 Of the Geneva Convention 1949 also states that “Persons regularly and solely engaged in the operation and administration of civilian hospitals, including the personnel engaged in the search for, removal and transporting of and caring for wounded and sick civilians, the infirm and maternity cases shall be respected and protected” 3. Ambulance Attacks to ambulances and repressive acts of apparatus towards ambulance personnel. What happened has served as a page of history that would be hard to forget