City denies financing Betawi group, fund exists<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Head of the City Nation Unity Body Effendy Anas on Monday
\nbrushed aside claims that his office sponsored activities of the
\nBetawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) -- specially, an attack on the
\nUrban Poor Consortium (UPC) last week.<\/p>\n
The raid took place on Thursday at the National Commission of
\nHuman Rights (Komnas HAM) office, in Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
However, Effendy did admit that the body gave out money from
\nthe City Budget to 48 political parties participating in the 1999
\ngeneral elections.<\/p>\n
He also acknowledged having frequently met FBR chairman Al
\nFadloli El-Muhir, who is also chief of the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty's Jakarta chapter.<\/p>\n
\"I met him in person on March 6 to discuss an ethnically
\ncharged brawl (in Cakung, North Jakarta),\" he said.<\/p>\n
The body will hand over Rp 10.6 billion (US$1.06 million) in
\nsupervisory funds for the 2002 City Budget, soon to include the
\n48 parties, along with the PDI.<\/p>\n
The largest of these, the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI Perjuangan), with 30 seats in city council, will
\nreceive Rp 1.5 billion, while nine other parties which have as
\nmany as 13 seats, will get between Rp 684 million, and Rp 52
\nmillion.<\/p>\n
Fadloli's party and the remaining 37 parties, which have no
\nseats in the council, will only get Rp 16 million each.<\/p>\n
Last year, the City Budget allocated Rp 6.84 billion for the
\n48 parties, Rp 1.71 billion higher than the 2000 fund.<\/p>\n
When asked if Fadloli has used the fund to finance his FBR
\nactivities, Effendy would only say that it was Fadloli's full
\nresponsibility.<\/p>\n
\"My job is only to give the fund. How they use the money is
\ntheir own business,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso expressed his readiness Monday to face
\npolice questioning on the attack.<\/p>\n
\"I'm ready if the police want to interrogate me. For God's
\nsake, I have no connection with FBR.\"<\/p>\n
He repeatedly denied giving money to FBR members, which he was
\naccused of doing by UPC chairwoman Wardah Hafidz, after FBR
\nmembers chased UPC activists during a rally on March 13, at City
\nHall.<\/p>\n
The FBR members had threatened on March 21 to beat up Wardah
\nat the National Monument. But police ignored the threats even
\nthough article 368 of the Criminal Code stipulates that one who
\nissues a threat can be sentenced to nine years in prison.<\/p>\n
The governor, whose tenure ends in October, boasted that the
\nattack might have been instigated by his political rivals to
\ntarnish his reputation after his accountability speech over the
\n2001 city budget, which was regarded weak by some city
\ncouncillors.<\/p>\n
\"That would be really stupid if I financed the FBR. The public
\nwould point to me directly,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso said that he allowed rallies of support or protest
\nagainst his administration, but never argued for the use of
\nviolence.<\/p>\n
However, he rejected the possibility of mediation between the
\nFBR and UPC to seek a solution, as both organizations are in
\nhighly emotional condition.<\/p>\n
\"UPC is not my enemy. I'm ready to meet Wardah to discuss
\npoverty. But don't expect me to be a mediator. It will never
\nhappen,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The City Council speaker Edy Waluyo said after meeting Vice
\nPresident Hamzah Haz that he regretted the attack, noting that
\nsuch practices should not be happening in an era of democracy.<\/p>\n
\"The practice of physically assaulting people must be stopped.
\nThere are other ways to express differences of opinion,\" he said.<\/p>\n
His statement contrasted with what he said on March 21, when
\nhe said that \"Wardah does not represent the real poor people in
\nthe city.\"<\/p>\n
Fadloli was summoned by the City Police as a witness on the
\ncase on Thursday. He came to police headquarters on Monday at 3
\np.m., requesting that the City Police Chief, Insp. Gen. Makbul
\nPadmanegara, delay the detention of his seven subordinates.<\/p>\n
The FBR lawyer, Suhanna Natawilwana, defended his client,
\nsaying that clashes among protesters have been common these days.<\/p>",
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