Missing PDI cadre reappears

Agus Maryono and Abu Hanifah, The Jakarta Post, Purbalingga/Jakarta

The chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle's Ngawi office, Yuwono Susetyo, was found alive on Saturday morning after he was kidnapped on Dec. 1 following unrest in the area, a police officer said on Sunday.

Purbalingga Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Agus Sofian Abadi said that Yuwono was found in Purbalingga, Central Java, lying facedown and blindfolded with his hands tied to a pine tree on the slopes of Mt. Slamet tourist area.

Agus said local people had heard Yuwono screaming for help on Saturday at dawn and immediately reported to the nearby Karangreja Police post.

Four policemen then rushed to the site and found Yuwono, who was immediately taken to Karangreja public health center as he was too weak to be questioned.

"Yuwono has now been taken to the East Java Police Headquarters in Surabaya," Agus said, adding that the provincial police chief of detectives, Sr. Comr. Wisjnu Amat Sastro, had inspected the scene where Yuwono was found and escorted him to Surabaya.

Yuwono was kidnapped by several unidentified men from his house two days after the Laskar Jihad hard-line group raided gambling dens during Ramadhan and handed over six suspected gamblers to the police.

The raid sparked anger among locals, who attacked the residence of Laskar Jihad supporter Muhyi Effendi the following day.

Witnesses said that Yuwono was accused by the kidnappers of backing gambling in the district, an allegation which has been denied by Yuwono's family.

The police have arrested 102 members of the Laskar Jihad, as well as six locals who reportedly destroyed the Laskar Jihad's headquarters in Ngawi.

A special team, led by the police's chief of detectives, has identified a car that was headed for the Caruban area that was used to abduct Yuwono. The team has also checked blood found at the scene of the crime that was reportedly Yuwono's.

On Thursday, Laskar Jihad commander Ja'far Umar Thalib told the media that none of his followers were involved in the kidnapping and the group would help find the culprits.

Following Yuwono's release, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) central board called on its members to stay calm and to refrain from taking revenge on any party.

"PDI Perjuangan cadres must stay away from acts of reprisal because the abduction victim has reported everything to the police," Pramono Anung, the vice secretary-general of PDI Perjuangan central board, told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Pramono said he had received Yuwono's statement, which was conveyed by a local PDI Perjuangan official.

"Yuwono said he could not identify his abductors as he was blindfolded the whole time during his 21-day ordeal," Pramono asserted.

Pramono said the party's central board would support PDI Perjuangan's officials in Ngawi in the establishment of a fact- finding team to help the police investigate the kidnapping.

"Our duty is only to monitor the development of the police's investigation into the matter. If we deem that the investigation is not going well, we will ask the police for clarification either through direct questions or in a legislative hearing," Pramono said.