FPI not responsible for attack

JAKARTA (JP): A leader of the Defenders of Islam (FPI), announced on Monday that the FPI members arrested on Sunday for allegedly attacking three female prostitutes and a transvestite in a park in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, were acting as private citizens and any wrongdoing was carried out in the absence of the organization's recognition.

"Yes, those men (10 suspects) are members of FPI. But what they did on Sunday, was done without the knowledge of FPI leaders, including myself," Tubagus Abdurrachman told reporters at the South Jakarta Police headquarters.

"FPI never ordered an attack on those who were mobbed... though it is no secret that those who were mobbed were very sinful people. My members did what they did, without telling me."

South Jakarta Police chief Col. Nono Suprijono said on Sunday that the suspects had confessed to the police that they had committed the crime based on an order given by an FPI member named Tubagus Abdurrachman.

"They claim to have no idea about the motive for the attack," Nono told reporters.

Police identified the victims as transvestite Tini, 18, who suffered serious machete wounds to his left shoulder and arm; prostitute Sarkiyah, 28, who suffered machete wounds to her right thigh; and prostitutes Rita Kanariah, 46, and Atik Lestari, 32, who both suffered facial bruises.

Following the arrest the police confiscated 10 machetes from the suspects as evidence.

According to city police data, this incident is the eighth time the FPI has struck city residents in Greater Jakarta this year.

One of the latest incidents took place on Thursday night when 135 FPI members ran amok and allegedly vandalized a karaoke bar in Ciputat.

The attack on Thursday left First Sgt. Andrianus P. Lestiono of the Elite Police Mobile Brigade Unit (Brimob) injured. (ylt)