NU members warned not to take law into their own hands<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Leaders of the Moslem organization Nahdlatul
\nUlama (NU) warned their members on Monday not to take the law
\ninto their own hands in their attempt to stop the mysterious
\nkillings which have claimed more than 150 lives in East Java in
\nthe past two months.<\/p>\n
NU provincial leader Hasyim Muzadi was quoted by Antara as
\nsaying: \"NU strictly prohibits the action of taking the law into
\nour own hands because this is against the religious and state
\nlaws... so it must be stopped.\"<\/p>\n
Speaking in Surabaya, the capital of East Java, Hasyim was
\nreferring to the locals' campaign to arm themselves against the
\nkillers. In some cases, the locals have then mobbed to death
\npeople they suspected of being the \"ninja-killers\" blamed for the
\nmurder spree.<\/p>\n
Originally thought to be targeting only people accused of
\ndabbling in sorcery, later victims turned out to be Moslem
\npreachers and NU followers.<\/p>\n
As reported earlier, a thousands-strong NU task force has been
\ndeployed to guard Moslem preachers in Surabaya and the
\nneighboring areas.<\/p>\n
Hasyim said the vigilance of the task force members had begun
\nto be excessive.<\/p>\n
\"Data obtained by NU indicates that the people, including NU
\nmembers, are being provoked to commit anarchic actions and if
\nthis (provocation) proves to be successful this will only benefit
\nthe rumormongers,\" Hasyim said, adding that the goal of the
\nrumormongers was to influence opinion so the public thought it
\nwas the NU members themselves who had been terrorizing the area.<\/p>\n
Separately, Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto told a
\ngathering of students here on Monday night that out of \"157
\nkillers\" arrested, 69 were also NU members.<\/p>\n
\"They will be tried this month,\" Wiranto said, without
\nmentioning any date. He insisted that the number of people killed
\nwere 95.<\/p>\n
\"It's not true that ABRI was involved in the killings,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Hasyim, therefore, appealed to NU members to immediately hand
\nover anybody they suspected to be killers to the authorities.<\/p>\n
In the East Java town of Malang on Sunday, locals attacked
\nfive people they suspected of being the killers in separate
\nincidents. The locals, who were on night patrol, started to
\nattack the five after they failed to produce identification
\ncards.<\/p>\n
One of the five was reportedly burned to death in Buluwalang
\ndistrict while another was beheaded on Sunday evening in
\nSumberwanjing Wetan.<\/p>\n
Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto said on Sunday that
\nconflict among the country's political elite was behind the
\nmurders.<\/p>\n
Wiranto, speaking at a meeting between authorities in East
\nJava and local civic and religious leaders in Banyuwangi, said
\nthe conflict had caused much suffering.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman Wahid, who heads the 30-million-strong Nahdlatul
\nUlama, said on Saturday his group already knew the \"mastermind\"
\nbehind the killing spree, including some cabinet ministers, but
\nmentioned no names.<\/p>\n
Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid suggested on Monday
\nthat Abdurrahman should support his allegations with evidence.<\/p>\n
\"Otherwise, his allegation will remain unproven and will have
\na negative impact on the government's credibility,\" Syarwan told
\nreporters after a plenary meeting at the House of
\nRepresentatives.<\/p>\n
He said such allegations would also disrupt the country's
\neconomy, which was starting to show signs of improvement.
\n(byg\/nur\/imn\/43)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nu-members-warned-not-to-take-law-into-their-own-hands-1447893297",
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