Police aware of armed political militia
Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung
The newly launched People First Party (Pura) has sparked controversy not only for choosing a city other than the capital as its base, but also for reportedly establishing an armed militia group.
While other parties have Jakarta as their base, Pura, one of a multitude of new political groups that have registered themselves for the 2004 general election, is to have its headquarters in Bandarlampung.
The plan to form an armed force emerged as soon as the party was launched on July 12 here. The party's chairman, Hendry Koestomo, has been named the supreme commander.
The force will help the nation defend its sovereignty and people to improve their welfare.
Some members of the party's armed wing, known as the Lampung Ratra Regiment, have been questioned by the provincial police for their involvement in a military-style exercise on Tuesday night in Gunung Balau subdistrict, Panjang district.
Panjang police station chief, Adj. Comr. Witnu Laksana, said 12 militiamen had been arrested for possession of weapons, but nine of them were later released.
"We found a number of sickles, swords and hoes when they were arrested. They also set up tents near the exercise ground," Witnu said.
He added that the investigation could be developed to cover their possible involvement in the plan to set up an armed force.
It has become common practice for political parties in the country to found their own militia groups, but they have never been intended to fight in battles.
In the past, the Indonesian Communist Party was the only political group which officially formed a military wing, known as the Fifth Force as it was intended to back up the state's armed forces and the police,
Commander of the Ratra Regiment, R.I. Jayaputra, denied reports of a military exercise involving his militiamen.
"The supreme commander has not ordered an exercise. It will only take place sometime in October," Jayaputra said.
He said the arrests resulted from miscommunication between his organization and the police.
"We were in Gunung Balau not to hold an exercise, but to clear a plot that our regiment will use for its activities," Jayakusuma, a journalist with the Ratra daily claimed.
He said an exercise was scheduled to take place in Kalianda in Central Lampung, provided approval from the local police and military was forthcoming.
"Our troops have been recruited to help the government defend the country's territorial integrity. The police castigate us for possessing offensive weapons, but why they do not do the same thing to militia groups belonging to other parties?" he said.
He admitted that the carrying of swords was stipulated in the regiment's rules.
What was seized by the police on Tuesday was implements to clear the one hectare of land belonging to a local resident identified as Yohanes, Jayakusuma said.
During the ceremony which marked Pura's launching on July 12, chairman Hendry Koestomo said farmers and the ordinary people would be the power base of the new party.
Hendry, who leads a holding company that is part of the Ratra Group, claimed to have obtained the support of 12 families. "If a family comprises four people, that means we have at least 48 followers," he boasted.
He said that non-governmental organization activists and students would participate in planned basic military training.
"Our party's mission is to fight for the people's welfare," said Hendry, a former legislator representing Golkar.
The launch ceremony was marked by the handover of hand tractors by Jakarta Council Speaker Edy Waluyo, on behalf of the native Jakarta Betawi people, to farmers in Gunungsugih in Central Lampung.
In the absence of provincial administration officials, becak (three-wheel pedicab) and motorcycle taxi drivers, and farmers attended the ceremony in Enggal Square.
A motorcycle taxi driver said he had received Rp 20,000 for his participation in the ceremony. A journalist covering the event also admitted he had been given some money, but refused to disclose the amount.