Noegroho says 'brochures provoked Doulos burning'

Noegroho says 'brochures provoked Doulos burning'

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho
Djajoesman said on Saturday that the arson attack on the
Christian Doulos foundation late last year was in connection with
anger sparked from the distribution of brochures on Christianity.

He said police found during their investigation that the
foundation handed out brochures and circulars on Christianity to
local residents and schools.

"The police found all these brochures and circulars which were
distributed to local residents... they even reached schools.
There are witnesses who saw the brochures distributed as well,"
Noegroho told The Jakarta Post.

"It was not only brochures... there were several things that
had to do with Christianity. This matter could have been solved
in a civil manner, but there was no communication between the
angry parties and the Doulos foundation."

Some 300 people, armed with sharp weapons and Molotov
cocktails, stormed the foundation complex in Cipayung, East
Jakarta and burned some of the buildings to the ground on the
evening of Dec. 15 after the Tarawih (the evening Muslim prayer
during Ramadhan fasting month).

Noegroho also confirmed that one of the nine suspects being
held by the city police is a former employee of the local
Directorate of Social and Political Affairs (Ditsospol), while
two others are University of Indonesia (UI) students, who are
members of the Defenders of Islam Front (FPI).

"Sudarsono is the one from Ditsospol. I think he was assigned
by his office to check out how far this foundation was going to
distribute information about Christianity," Noegroho said.

"Of course, there were efforts to provoke anger between the
parties. The anger had nothing to do with UI students being
members of FPI. All the residents in the Cipayung area have an
emotional attachment to the complex."

"Some residents are from Ciracas, some from Cilangkap. They
are all close to one another and knew this problem very well."

Noegroho flatly denied that the Army was involved in the
arson.

The foundation is about 500 meters from the Indonesian
Military (TNI) headquarters in Cilangkap, East Jakarta. No
military members were sent to the fire, which lasted until the
early morning of Dec. 16.

The first eleven suspects detained for questioning were
identified as Sumardi, Imam Saurozi, Untung, Anuri, Hamdi,
Djainudin, Johan, Mislan, Taufik, Heri and H. Sanin, alias
Sudarsono.

Of the 11, it is not clear which two suspects were recently
released due to a lack of evidence.

"I cannot tell you all of that now," Noegroho said.

A source close to the investigation said that FPI and Doulos
had not been on good terms lately.

"They (FPI) accused Doulos of handing out circulars every
other week reporting the conversion of Muslims to Christians,"
the source said.

"Doulos not only helps drug addicts and patients suffering
from mental illness, but they teach people about Christianity.
That is not exactly conversion, but FPI got mad about it."

"Recently, one person -- we don't know from which group --
went to each house in the Jl. Tugu area, petitioning each
household to sign a piece of paper, saying that residents did not
like the complex being there. Not one resident signed."

When asked if it had anything to do with the foundation's
building permit problem, the source said that was only a "cover-
up to justify the burning."

"Ever since the building was built in 1997, the FPI has
protested Doulos at City Hall, at the East Jakarta mayoralty
office and other places. They always lead the protests," the
source said. (ylt)