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.