Soerjadi's camp blocked by rivals<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): At least 60 pro-Soerjadi Indonesian Democratic
\nParty (PDI) members were blocked yesterday by pro-Megawati
\nsupporters at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport from boarding
\ntheir flight to Palu, Central Sulawesi, to attend their party
\ncongress.<\/p>\n
The incident prompted the delegation to take refuge at the
\ncity police headquarters.<\/p>\n
Police sources said the pro-Soerjadi delegates arrived at the
\nairport at about 4 a.m. in two buses.<\/p>\n
Twelve supporters of ousted PDI chairwoman Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri were awaiting their arrival at the airport's
\ndeparture terminal and later prevented them from leaving the
\ncity, the sources said.<\/p>\n
The delegation left the airport soon after on the same buses
\nwithout any incident. Seeing that they were being followed by the
\npro-Megawati group, they ordered their drivers to take them to
\npolice headquarters to take refuge.<\/p>\n
Police briefly detained the Megawati supporters after they
\nfollowed the Soerjadi group into the headquarters compound on the
\ngrounds that they planned to create a disturbance.<\/p>\n
The Megawati supporters were released an hour later after
\npolice cleared the matter between the two rival groups.<\/p>\n
The two buses used by the Soerjadi delegation, which included
\nparty secretary-general Buttu Hutapea, were still at the
\nheadquarters as late as 1:30 p.m. yesterday.<\/p>\n
One of the bus drivers, who asked for anonymity, told
\nreporters that he had driven the bus from Jl. Denpasar, South
\nJakarta, to the airport, where the Megawati supporters were
\nalready waiting for their arrival.<\/p>\n
\"They were screaming and yelling, telling us to go. The
\npassengers in my bus were scared, so we eventually headed back to
\ntown. Then I was asked to bring them to the city police,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
City police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman confirmed
\nyesterday that a group of Soerjadi supporters had sought police
\nprotection.<\/p>\n
\"As a law enforcer, I should give proper protection for
\nanybody who needs it. But in this case, we tried to become a
\npeacemaker,\" Noegroho said.<\/p>\n
\"We don't plan on taking any special action regarding this
\nissue. I hope everything goes back to normal and I urge every
\nparty not to precipitate any fights,\" he added.<\/p>\n
He said no physical clash had occurred since the police
\nbrokered a peaceful ending to the incident.<\/p>\n
\"After the incident happened, I summoned the Megawati
\nsupporters to clear things up. I told them that they couldn't do
\nsuch things because the Soerjadi supporters also had rights.\"<\/p>\n
The buses' owner, Farida, told reporters that she was shocked
\nover the incident.<\/p>\n
\"They (Soerjadi supporters) were not the ones listed to use my
\nbuses. I was told my buses were to be used by a group of
\nemployees from PT Indocement.<\/p>\n
\"If I had known about this sooner, I would not have let the
\nSoerjadi supporters rent them, because it's just too risky,\" she
\nsaid. (edt\/jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/soerjadis-camp-blocked-by-rivals-1447893297",
"image": ""
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