Mob terrorizes councilor, family in Surabaya
JAKARTA (JP): Legislator Mohammad Mansur of the United Development Party (PPP) is calling for an immediate and thorough police investigation of possible "third party" involvement in a mob which attacked the home of a city councilor in Surabaya.
"The people were possibly used by someone to break the law," Mansur told The Jakarta Post by phone here yesterday.
He said the incident had transgressed into a criminal act, and "the police must examine the case thoroughly."
The house of city councilor Andy Soedirman on Friday was vandalized by about 200 people to remonstrate Andy's announcement that he would sue Surabaya Mayor Sunarto Sumoprawiro over a discrepancies in land appropriation.
Andy charged that Sunarto had appropriated a plot on Jl. Sungkono without prior consent of the city legislative council.
His comments, widely reported in the local media, stirred strong reactions from two groups. One group of 50 people calling themselves "Defenders of the Mayor" expressed their grievance at the council building, while the other turned into an angry mob in front of Andy's house at Jl. Darmo Permai Selatan.
Andy's house was pelted. Windows were broken, the telephone line was cut and the councilor's two cars were ransacked and their tires flattened. There were no casualties.
Mayor Sunarto yesterday denied any part in the incident.
"I have no prior knowledge and have nothing to do with the action," he was quoted by Antara as saying.
Brawijaya Military Command Chief Maj. Gen. Imam Utomo promised to get to the bottom of the incident. He said it would not be difficult to identify the culprits because the military has the photographs of those who took part.
Imam however said that the incident happened because Andy has been known to make statements that often offended people.
East Java Police Chief Maj. Gen. Roesmanhadi has also promised to take action against the vandals, according to Antara.
Nurcholish Madjid, a member of the National Commission on Human Rights, deplored the terror action against an elected councilor as a "sign of political immaturity" of the people.
"A council member is elected and paid to talk. This is very regrettable," he told the news agency.
At the time of the incident Andy and his wife, Soliha, had left the house to attend a relatives' wedding party leaving only their two-children and two-servants.
When they returned in the afternoon, the couple found a frenzied crowd in front of their house. The two were immediately escorted inside the house by police.
The crowd dispersed after being persuaded by a local military official to go home.
According to Andy's son, Firdaus, the family had been terrorized with telephone calls since Thursday. He recounted receiving anonymous threats over the phone throughout the night.
"Watch out, one of your family will be killed," Firdaus said mimicking the mysterious caller.
Despite the attack, Andy said the incident had not changed his mind about suing the mayor. (mds)