Hawker recruited to participate in takeover

Hawker recruited to participate in takeover

JAKARTA (JP): A hawker told the Central Jakarta District Court
yesterday that he was recruited by a mysterious man to take part
in the move by the supporters of Soerjadi, the officially
recognized chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), to
take over the party's headquarters from his rival group in July.

Dedy Suntani bin Amay Sukatma, 23, taking the witness stand in
the trial of supporters of Megawati Soekarnoputri, the ousted PDI
chairwoman, testified that by chance on July 26 he met a man
called Pak Tanjung at his supplier's shop in North Jakarta, who
offered him a job as a guard.

Dedy said the mustachioed and sturdy man with a short haircut
later recruited him and other people to participate in the
takeover of PDI's headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro in Central
Jakarta. It later turned into a bloody riot.

Dedy said on the eve of July 27, he was picked by Pak Tanjung
and taken to a three-story building, the exact location of which
he did not know.

"I saw a lot of people there. We were all provided with food
and cigarettes."

At five o'clock in the morning, he said, they were woken up
and briefed about the operation.

"We were provided with red T-shirts bearing the inscription
Soerjadi's Supporter", red headbands and wooden clubs, " he said.

He said he was neither a supporter of Soerjadi nor a member of
PDI.

According to Dedy, there were altogether 10 truckloads of
people recruited by Pak Tanjung.

During the operation, which later turned into a riot, Dedy did
not attack any people because he was in charge of carrying a fire
extinguisher.

"My right cheek was suddenly hit by a stone, but I did not
know who had thrown it at me," Dedy said.

He said a police officer gave him Rp 30,000 (US$13) to get
medical treatment at Mohammad Ridwan Army Hospital on Jl. Kramat
Raya, about one mile from the scene.

During Wednesday's court session trying another group of
Megawati's supporters, Dedy admitted that he was paid Rp 5,000
for participating in the takeover operation. (16)