Observers condemn Friday's attack on Komnas HAM<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Political observers Hermawan Sulistyo and
\nJohannes Kristiadi have condemned Friday's violent attack on the
\nheadquarters of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas
\nHAM) by members of the Front for Defenders of Islam (FPI).<\/p>\n
Hermawan and Kristiadi said on Saturday that the incident
\nshould be deeply deplored and FPI members have no legal rights at
\nall to carry out such an act of vandalism.<\/p>\n
The condemnation, however, failed to soften FPI's stand.
\nCoordinator of the front, Jafar Sidiq, even threatened to carry
\nout such an attack again should Komnas HAM upset them.<\/p>\n
\"We'll take responsibility for the attack. Muslims here are no
\nlonger patient. If you cross us again, we will take action,\"
\nJafar told The Jakarta Post on Saturday over the phone.<\/p>\n
According to Hermawan, the attack, staged by some 300 FPI
\nmembers on Komnas HAM headquarters on Jl. Latuharhari in Central
\nJakarta, was not only against Indonesian law, but also against
\nIslamic laws.<\/p>\n
\"I am a Muslim. My religion has never taught me to vandalize
\ninstitutions and hurt people,\" the political observer from
\nNational Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said.<\/p>\n
He said that it's now time for police to play an active role
\nin securing the capital from the threat of violent acts by
\ncommunities who seem to be immune to law.<\/p>\n
\"Friday's attack was no mob attack. The organizations involved
\nin the attack made their identities clear enough,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"The police know who founded these organizations, including
\nFPI, and who funds these organizations. Police therefore should
\ntake action against those people,\" Hermawan said.<\/p>\n
He suggested that if police could not provide the institution
\nwith protection, President Abdurrahman \"Gus Dur\" Wahid should do
\nso by deploying Banser troops of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) at
\nKomnas HAM headquarters.<\/p>\n
Gus Dur once chaired the strong Muslim organization.<\/p>\n
Kristiadi proposed a slightly different idea to help lower the
\ntension by suggesting a dialog between FPI executives and Komnas
\nHAM members.<\/p>\n
\"It would be good if FPI and Komnas HAM engaged in a dialog to
\nease the tensions between them,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to Kristiadi, the dispute should be settled in a
\npeaceful way without having to deploy, for example, the Banser
\ntroops to the commission headquarters.<\/p>\n
\"However weak the Indonesian law is, the general public must
\nleave the issue of security to law enforcers. It is the job of
\nthe police to protect us. That is what the police are for,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Friday's assault was in protest over a report by the
\ncommission's investigation team into the alleged mass killing and
\nburials in the 1984 Tanjung Priok shootings in North Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Mostly clad in white Muslim clothes with FPI emblems and green
\nscarfs, the angry protesters arrived at the Komnas HAM
\nheadquarters at 2 p.m. in six trucks, scores of motorcycles and a
\npickup truck.<\/p>\n
Armed with stones and one-meter-long rattan sticks, some of
\nthe more emotional protesters shattered windows at both the
\ncommission building and a security post in front of the
\nheadquarters amidst efforts by their other colleagues to calm
\nthem down.<\/p>\n
The protesters demanded that the commission be abolished,
\nsaying it had failed to provide a fair report on human rights
\nabuses in the Tanjung Priok case.<\/p>\n
Protest coordinator M. Alwi Usman called the investigation
\nteam's report discriminative.<\/p>\n
\"The report failed to mention the shooters. Ironically, the
\ncommission met with some high-ranking military officers one day
\nbefore it presented the report to the House of Representatives on
\nFriday last week,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The bloody Tanjung Priok shootings claimed the lives of 33
\ncivilians, with as many as 24 people killed by security officers.
\nThe remaining nine -- all family members of Tan Kioe Liem -- died
\nat the hands of the angry masses.<\/p>\n
Controversial cases<\/p>\n
Jafar said on Saturday that FPI and other Muslim organizations
\nwere not only sick of the way Komnas HAM had handled the Tanjung
\nPriok case, but other controversial cases as well in the country.<\/p>\n
\"We are just sick of it. Komnas HAM declared members of the
\nprointegration movement in East Timor as anarchists. A lot of
\nKomnas HAM's actions prove that it has sold out on the unity of
\nthe country,\" Jafar said.<\/p>\n
Jafar added that the commission had brought the attack on
\nitself by \"acting partially against Muslims.\"<\/p>\n
\"Komnas HAM is welcome to use the help of the police and the
\nlaw,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Separately, Komnas HAM member Asmara Nababan told the Post on
\nSaturday that he also condemned the attack and was disappointed
\nthat the police deployed on the street failed to stop the violent
\nprotesters.<\/p>\n
He added that representatives of Komnas HAM had once met with
\nNational Police deputy chief Maj. Gen. Bimantoro to ask for
\nprotection.<\/p>\n
\"He promised us protection. But during the attack, the police
\ncould not even afford to give Komnas HAM minimum protection,\"
\nAsmara said.<\/p>\n
\"We are never closed to protests and always welcome those who
\nwant to express their concerns to Komnas HAM. We welcome dialog,
\nbut not vandalism,\" Asmara said.<\/p>\n
\"When we try to investigate any case, we always try to remain
\nas objective as possible. We are open to criticism. Where is the
\nneed to attack a legal institution?\" (ylt)<\/p>",
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