Doulos Foundation pledges to continue its work<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Despite the city administration's order to cease
\nits operations, the management of the Christian-run Doulos
\nFoundation in Cipayung, East Jakarta, pledged on Saturday to
\ncontinue their activities in the area in the future.<\/p>\n
\"We haven't yet thought about the city administration's
\ndecision to stop our activities. For what reasons? We've been
\nprocessing our permit for two years,\" foundation executive Andrew
\nLatuhimin said.<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso said on Friday the administration would not
\nissue a permit to the foundation, which was running a theology
\ninstitute and a narcotics rehabilitation center, because it had
\nno license.<\/p>\n
\"The city administration did not delay issuing the permit, but
\nit was they who violated city regulations on land usage,\" the
\ngovernor said.<\/p>\n
Sutiyoso said the administration had given food and medicine
\nto the foundation, but would not give any financial aid to
\nredevelop the complex.<\/p>\n
Andrew's opinion was shared by Zacharias Pattimukay, a
\nlecturer at the theology institute.<\/p>\n
\"What kind of permit do they need? We have paid for the permit
\nand followed all their instructions so that we can obtain it,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Workers were seen on Saturday installing glass windows in the
\nmultipurpose hall, still relatively intact after Wednesday
\nevening's attack. Other workers were loading furniture onto
\ntrucks.<\/p>\n
One student died and more than a dozen people were injured
\nwhen some 300 people armed with sharp weapons and Molotov
\ncocktails stormed the complex on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n
The situation in the neighborhood was tense on Saturday. A
\nlocal resident, identified as Tedi, said most local female
\nresidents were staying with their relatives.<\/p>\n
He said locals did not have any objections to the students at
\nthe theology institute, but to the students' use of Islamic
\nsymbols and clothing while propagating their beliefs.<\/p>\n
\"The male students often wore kopiah (Islamic prayer caps)
\nwhile the female students frequently wore jilbab (Islamic
\nclothes), imitating real Muslims,\" Tedi, who works as a bus
\ndriver on the Cililitan-Cipayung route, said.<\/p>\n
\"The students always tried to convert local residents to
\nChristianity by using familiar and gentle methods.\"<\/p>\n
Zacharias, who was hit on the head by a metal pipe and
\nsuffered neck wounds in Wednesday's attack, denied the
\nallegations.<\/p>\n
\"There is no such thing here. Our students are preparing to
\nbecome reverends or counselors,\" he said.<\/p>\n
City police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman said on
\nSaturday the attack on the complex was a regular case.<\/p>\n
\"The case becomes special because of the religions of the
\nperpetrators and the victims,\" Noegroho said after a ceremony
\nmarking the official establishment of the National Business
\nDevelopment Council at the Presidential Palace.<\/p>\n
He admitted the attack was well organized. \"Yes, there had
\nbeen meetings to plan the attack.\"<\/p>\n
Noegroho said he was confident that the police could catch the
\nmastermind and solve the case.<\/p>\n
\"I hope all parties related to this case will be frank in
\ngiving information to the police,\" he said, referring to
\nsuspects, witnesses and residents.<\/p>\n
He said the city police had established a special team to
\nsolve the case.<\/p>\n
\"The team will include professionals as it deals with a
\nsensitive area. They (team members) have to use a persuasive
\napproach, not only legal methods, in approaching the residents,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
The police chief said he was sure that he would be able to
\nbring the perpetrators to court.<\/p>\n
\"The President has ordered me to do so. I can't defy him by
\nsaying 'I can't,'\" Noegroho said, while citing that he would
\nfocus on the legal aspects of the case.<\/p>\n
Noegroho, who led the investigation, disclosed the police had
\narrested another three suspects allegedly involved in the attack,
\nbringing the total of suspects to nine.<\/p>\n
He admitted President Abdurrahman Wahid and National Police
\nchief Gen. Roesmanhadi were also monitoring the Doulos case. (05)<\/p>",
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