Mob terrorizes councilor, family in Surabaya

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)