Doulos Foundation may rebuild complex: Accord
JAKARTA (JP): The Doulos Foundation and residents of Cipayung, East Jakarta, signed an agreement on Friday afternoon declaring that the foundation could rebuild the complex, which was razed in an arson attack on Dec. 15, soon after it secures a permit from the city administration.
The agreement was made in a meeting between representatives of the residents of Cipayung, local Muslim ulemas, the East Jakarta police and the Cipayung district administration. The meeting was held on the second floor of the foundations's main building, which could still be used as only half of its roof was destroyed by the fire.
The foundation's chairman, Royandi Hutasoit, expressed hope that the permit would be issued soon, so that it could build semipermanent buildings to shelter the school of theology students, who now are spread in different places.
Hutasoit said Governor Sutiyoso promised to help him solve the students' problem.
"Governor Sutiyoso told the student victims in a visit to the Indonesian Christian University (UKI) Hospital in Cawang, East Jakarta, that he would contact me to discuss this matter," Hutasoit told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
Earlier on Thursday, East Jakarta Mayor Andi Mappaganty said that his office would not allow the Doulos Foundation to rebuild the complex unless it could obtain required permits issued by the city administration.
"They must meet the city administration's regulations on land usage in the Cipayung district," the mayor said at City Hall after a meeting with Governor Sutiyoso.
Hutasoit said the meeting was initially meant as a silaturahmi (friendship) forum between the foundation and the residents in the neighborhood.
"But the residents' representatives, led by local Muslim leader Hamdi, wanted the compromise to be adopted in a written agreement," Hutasoit said.
The agreement regretted the mob attack and urged residents not to take the law into their own hands, but create a peaceful situation in the area.
It also included a commitment from the Doulos foundation that it would not take revenge on the residents.
Chief of the Cipayung police subprecinct Capt. Ngatimin said the police would guarantee the security of all residents.
Conversion
Meanwhile, National Police chief Gen. Roesmanhadi upheld on Friday the version of Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman in connection with the latest results of a police investigation on the arson attack.
"What I know, you people already know. It is no different than what was told to you by city police chief (Noegroho). There are 11 suspects, and it does have to do with conversion of religion," Roesmanhadi said, following a closed meeting on Friday with top police officers, where results were formally revealed by the investigators.
"One of the main suspects is Sudirman, who coordinated the burning," Roesmanhadi said.
The four-star general began the proceedings of the meeting at 8:30 a.m., and it ended at least two hours later.
The meeting was attended by Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo, four city police detectives and several top National Police officers.
Earlier, Roesmanhadi had said that things revealed in the arson included criminal and political aspects of the attack.
"The criminal side is quite obvious, since burning and creating such violent chaos is a crime. The political side will also be revealed on Friday," he said on Thursday.
The arson attack by some 300 people on the Christian-owned complex in Cipayung, East Jakarta, on Dec. 15 shocked many people across the capital. The incident cost the life of one man and injured dozens of others.
Police have steadfastly guarded the identities of the 11 suspects and the motives of the attack on the 2.7-hectare site owned by the Doulos Foundation.
In an unrelated development, a residential house on Jl. Condet Raya No. 17, Bale Kambang area, East Jakarta, which had regularly held a Christian religious service once a week, was attacked by dozens of residents on Thursday night at 10.30 p.m.
The house owner, Saut Moses Hasibuan, and wife, Naomi Sinaga, said the mob started throwing firecrackers and stones at the house while they were waiting for the police, representatives of the residents and the area administration.
"We were contacted by the subdistrict head, Roshid, about the meeting to discuss our appeal for a Christmas celebration permit. The meeting was scheduled for 10 p.m., but they didn't show up until the attack occurred half an hour later," Naomi told reporters at the scene.
The attackers used stones and logs found in the house's front yard to smash cars and windows of the house, which also functioned as an office of a contractor company PT Santosa Asih Jaya, owned by the family.
No fatalities were reported in the attack, but the main gate fell to the ground and several windows and windows of three cars parked in the yard were damaged. One of the cars' radio was also taken. (01/ylt)