FPI members raid nightspots<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
About 650 members of the radical Islam Defenders Front (FPI)
\nlaunched a violent raid early Friday morning against nightspots
\nand billiard centers here, while police did nothing to prevent or
\nstop the violence.<\/p>\n
The FPI pelted and smashed glasses and property of Eksotis
\ndiscotheque in Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta, and two billiard
\ncenters in Mangga Besar, West Jakarta, with wooden sticks.<\/p>\n
The civilian group, however, failed in its attempt to cause
\ndamage to Hailai in Ancol, North Jakarta, because people from the
\nbuilding management approached members of the group and managed
\nto calm them down.<\/p>\n
FPI launched the raids to protest against nightspots and
\nentertainment centers operating while Muslims were observing Isra
\nMir'aj, or Ascension Day of Prophet Muhammad.<\/p>\n
They also alleged that the establishments not only served
\nalcoholic drinks, but that drug transactions also transpired on
\nthe premises.<\/p>\n
Dozens of police officers in trucks, patrol cars and
\nmotorcycles witnessed the vandalism, but did nothing to prevent,
\nlet alone stop the raids, and observed from a distance.<\/p>\n
Brig. Suhandi of the Sawah Besar Police substation confirmed
\nthe incident.<\/p>\n
\"So far the police have arrested none of the assailants in
\nconnection with the violence,\" said the officer.<\/p>\n
He was reluctant to comment further on the incident.<\/p>\n
Friday's raids were the fourth in a series of raids on
\nnightspots by the group here this year.<\/p>\n
FPI has become notorious for its violent raids on nightspots
\nand entertainment centers, which they believe are centers of
\nsinful acts (maksiat).<\/p>\n
A legal expert at the University of Indonesia, Topo Susanto,
\nblasted the raids and said they were criminal acts.<\/p>\n
\"Whatever the reason, the deliberate destruction of another's
\nproperty is obviously a crime,\" Topo asserted.<\/p>\n
He said that such an offense was subject to Criminal Code
\nArticle No. 170 on the deliberate destruction of other people's
\nproperty, which carries at maximum seven-year prison sentence.<\/p>\n
However, Topo said the recurrent raids by FPI also indicated
\nthe government's failure to ensure legal certainty and uphold
\npublic order.<\/p>\n
\"The excess (of such legal uncertainties) is that any group
\nmay have its own interpretation of the law and in turn take the
\nlaw into their own hands amid the police's failure to enforce
\nprevailing laws,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Topo warned that such violent raids would recur as many groups
\ncould justify the use of violence for their own interests.<\/p>\n
In a previous raid at the end of June on Jl. Jaksa in Central
\nJakarta, over 100 FPI members armed with sticks, machetes and
\nswords attacked seven bars along the road, which is a popular
\nhangout for expatriates. They smashed billboards and empty beer
\nbottles.<\/p>\n
Police summoned FPI members for questioning, but no arrests
\nhave been made for any of the raids.<\/p>",
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