Police detain dozens over PDI-P attack

Police detain dozens over PDI-P attack

La Remmy, The Jakarta Post, Palu, Central Sulawesi

Police here said on Thursday they had arrested at least 30 people
suspected of involvement in an attack on the headquarters of
President Megawati Soekarnoputri's party in Palu, Central
Sulawesi.

However, six of them were released, due to lack of evidence,
and the remaining 24 are being held for interrogation, Central
Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Taufik Ridha said.

At least seven of the detained people including students,
workers, non-governmental organization activists and jobless
people, have confessed to some role in the attack on Wednesday,
he added.

The attack was apparently precipitated by hundreds of
protesters angry over the steep rise in fuel, electricity and
telephone prices, and they directed their anger at the PDI
Perjuangan headquarters. No casualties were reported, however.

It took place as Megawati canceled a visit to the Central
Sulawesi town of Poso on Wednesday to lead a ceremony marking the
National Social Solidarity Day, in which she would have handed
over aid to victims of sectarian unrest there.

Sjafrun Abdullah, a deputy party chairman of the Central
Sulawesi chapter, said his colleagues had taken Wednesday's
incident to the provincial police for investigation.

"This (Thursday) morning, six party executives officially
reported the attack to the police. We asked them to process the
case of destruction of our office. Those proven to be involved in
the attack must face justice," he said.

PDI Perjuangan expected the police to take legal action
against the attackers, said Sjafrun, who is also a deputy speaker
of the provincial legislature.

"But if, after a certain deadline the investigation process
remains fruitless, PDI Perjuangan militia gangs will round up
those responsible for the destruction of our party's
headquarters," he warned, but stopped short of an exact date of
the deadline.

He confirmed that his party supporters initiated the search
for the attackers on Wednesday night, but found none as they were
suspected to have fled Palu.

Sjafrun, however, denied allegations that PDI Perjuangan
private security force had abducted local residents blamed for
the attack.

Police personnel and PDI Perjuangan men provided tight guard
at the rampaged office on Thursday as it received threats of more
attacks from several unidentified callers.

Aco, a PDI Perjuangan activist, who received the phone
threats, said the callers told him that a mob would storm the
office again for a further attacks.

In a response, Aco told the callers that PDI Perjuangan was
ready to take revenge against them.

Meanwhile, Ferry Anwar of the Presidium for South Sulawesi
Poor People's Forum threatened to mobilize thousands of
protesters to occupy the provincial police headquarters on
Thursday if his colleagues being held for the attack were not
released.

But by Thursday evening, the promised occupation did not take
place despite hundreds of students staging a noisy rally on Jl.
Diponegoro, across town, in a protest against the utility price
hikes.

They blocked the Palu-Donggala highway for around five hours,
causing a heavy traffic jam and seized a fuel station. The
demonstrators dispersed after negotiations between them and Palu
Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Haka Astana.