Police free alleged members of militant religious group

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police released on Thursday two university students who were being detained for their alleged involvement in a militant religious movement, known as the Indonesian Islamic State (NII), which aims to establish an Islamic state.

"We released them today as we determined that they were just in the early stages of being recruited by NII," the East Jakarta Police chief, Comr. Samsuri, told The Jakarta Post.

The two students, identified as Jody and Sandy, were arrested by police on Wednesday at Jl. Kav. Rambutan Blok H No. 180, which is believed to be one of NII's headquarters in Kampung Rambutan, East Jakarta.

"They were only told to watch the house and keep it clean while the maid was away visiting her hometown," Samsuri said.

He said that the students were released after police questioned their parents, a lecturer and a top employee of a mining firm, and were assured by them that their children would not stray from the law.

Jody and Sandy were instructed that they would be required to report to the police twice a week, Samsuri said.

Despite their release, Samsuri said police were still looking for a man, identified as Andry, who had told Jody and Sandy to stay at the house.

The police raid of the rented house was prompted by a tip from a witness, who was not accepted as a group member after she failed to meet the requirements for recruitment.

"At the moment, we think the house was being used by the organization as a registration office," said Samsuri.

"Based on the witness' testimony, we are also cooperating with the South Jakarta Police to investigate the possible activities of the group elsewhere in South Jakarta," said Samsuri.

The witness told police that she and her friends had been asked by Mainur and Indra to join NII, which obliged them to swear allegiance to the organization, promise to sacrifice themselves at any cost to further NII's cause and to pay Rp 300,000.

During the raid, police also confiscated the central processor unit of a computer, a copy of the Koran and a white board.

"We have summoned the house owner in for questioning, but so far he hasn't appeared," Samsuri said.