City denies financing Betawi group, fund exists
City denies financing Betawi group, fund exists
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Head of the City Nation Unity Body Effendy Anas on Monday brushed aside claims that his office sponsored activities of the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) -- specially, an attack on the Urban Poor Consortium (UPC) last week.
The raid took place on Thursday at the National Commission of Human Rights (Komnas HAM) office, in Central Jakarta.
However, Effendy did admit that the body gave out money from the City Budget to 48 political parties participating in the 1999 general elections.
He also acknowledged having frequently met FBR chairman Al Fadloli El-Muhir, who is also chief of the Indonesian Democratic Party's Jakarta chapter.
"I met him in person on March 6 to discuss an ethnically charged brawl (in Cakung, North Jakarta)," he said.
The body will hand over Rp 10.6 billion (US$1.06 million) in supervisory funds for the 2002 City Budget, soon to include the 48 parties, along with the PDI.
The largest of these, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), with 30 seats in city council, will receive Rp 1.5 billion, while nine other parties which have as many as 13 seats, will get between Rp 684 million, and Rp 52 million.
Fadloli's party and the remaining 37 parties, which have no seats in the council, will only get Rp 16 million each.
Last year, the City Budget allocated Rp 6.84 billion for the 48 parties, Rp 1.71 billion higher than the 2000 fund.
When asked if Fadloli has used the fund to finance his FBR activities, Effendy would only say that it was Fadloli's full responsibility.
"My job is only to give the fund. How they use the money is their own business," he said.
Governor Sutiyoso expressed his readiness Monday to face police questioning on the attack.
"I'm ready if the police want to interrogate me. For God's sake, I have no connection with FBR."
He repeatedly denied giving money to FBR members, which he was accused of doing by UPC chairwoman Wardah Hafidz, after FBR members chased UPC activists during a rally on March 13, at City Hall.
The FBR members had threatened on March 21 to beat up Wardah at the National Monument. But police ignored the threats even though article 368 of the Criminal Code stipulates that one who issues a threat can be sentenced to nine years in prison.
The governor, whose tenure ends in October, boasted that the attack might have been instigated by his political rivals to tarnish his reputation after his accountability speech over the 2001 city budget, which was regarded weak by some city councillors.
"That would be really stupid if I financed the FBR. The public would point to me directly," he said.
Sutiyoso said that he allowed rallies of support or protest against his administration, but never argued for the use of violence.
However, he rejected the possibility of mediation between the FBR and UPC to seek a solution, as both organizations are in highly emotional condition.
"UPC is not my enemy. I'm ready to meet Wardah to discuss poverty. But don't expect me to be a mediator. It will never happen," he said.
The City Council speaker Edy Waluyo said after meeting Vice President Hamzah Haz that he regretted the attack, noting that such practices should not be happening in an era of democracy.
"The practice of physically assaulting people must be stopped. There are other ways to express differences of opinion," he said.
His statement contrasted with what he said on March 21, when he said that "Wardah does not represent the real poor people in the city."
Fadloli was summoned by the City Police as a witness on the case on Thursday. He came to police headquarters on Monday at 3 p.m., requesting that the City Police Chief, Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanegara, delay the detention of his seven subordinates.
The FBR lawyer, Suhanna Natawilwana, defended his client, saying that clashes among protesters have been common these days.