Police nab more arson suspects

JAKARTA (JP): Police have arrested two more suspects in connection with Wednesday night's arson attack on the Christian- owned building complex in Cipayung, East Jakarta.

Until last night, police, however, claimed to be still in the dark about the motives of the violent action by the mob against the Doulos school and rehabilitation center complex.

Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman, who is facing calls to step down over his failure to stop the maniacal mob, admitted that the burning of the complex had to do with the activities of conversion of religion.

Separately, President Abdurrahman Wahid said he was sure the incident was politically motivated.

"I know that there are political motives behind this," he told the congregation at the Baiturrahim Mosque located in the Presidential Palace compound in Central Jakarta after performing Friday prayers.

As is usual with the President, he did not clarify his words.

With the arrest of the two men, the number of people arrested for the attack on the complex that houses a school of theology and drug rehabilitation and psychiatric centers has reached eight suspects.

But still none of the police officers were willing to identify the suspects.

"The last two men arrested are the main field coordinators, who led the burning. The burning had to do with one of two things: conversion of religion, or a permit (to run the foundation) problem," Noegroho told reporters on Friday.

"We are still in the dark about the true motives of the arson attack. We need time to investigate the matter."

Police continued to guard the identities of the suspects and motives in the attack on the 2.7-hectare site owned by the Doulos Foundation.

One student died and more than a dozen people were injured when some 300 people, armed with sharp weapons and Molotov cocktails, stormed the complex on Wednesday night.

"The arson was well planned," Noegroho said.

The fatality was identified as 31-year-old Sariman, a theology student from Bantul, Yogyakarta. His body was covered in gash wounds.

When asked for his comments on the growing demands from the general public and city councillors for him to leave his post as Jakarta Police chief, Noegroho said that people must try to understand the problem that lay behind the burning.

"Whether a permit problem, or a conversion of religion problem, or any other problem, it was enough to provoke a certain group of people to burn the complex," Noegroho said.

"If the City Council wants me to resign, that is their problem, not mine. I cannot bother about their point of view."

Noegroho urged the general public to refrain from preaching about conversion.

"There has to be a closeness among all religions. A religion should not be forced upon someone ... Nobody should force or persuade anybody to convert," he said.

When asked if he was facing a dilemma in finding the answers to the incident, he said: "I don't think so".

Speaking with the dozens of the people at the mosque, the President said: "I urge the Jakarta Police to arrest the wrongdoers and bring them to court. The Jakarta Police chief reported to me on Thursday that four people had so far been arrested, so I assure you no more attacks will hit the minorities."

Separately, South Jakarta police chief Lt. Col. Nono Suprijono said on Friday that police officers would be deployed, beginning next week, to secure churches and mosques across the capital.

"If we need backup, we'll ask the military. But, we'll make sure that every church and mosque receives its share of security, beginning from Christmas through the Idul Fitri holiday," Nono told reporters.

Condemnation over the vicious arson attack by the mob against the Doulos complex continued on Friday.

General secretary of the Indonesian Bible Association (PII) Reverend Nur Reimas told legislators at the House of Representatives that the condemnation was directed at the destruction, which was carried out under the name of a certain religion.

"Our religion, Christianity, has been accepted worldwide and several Christians have proven themselves to be heroes of this nation," Nus said.

"There are several buildings here without proper building permits, but they were left untouched. We have never led anybody to enter Christianity. Where is the need to lead a person of another religion into our religion?"

PII development board member, Lt. Gen. (ret.) Mantiri, a former Armed Forces (ABRI) chief of territorial affairs, said that the Indonesian government was too lenient and allowed people to do as they pleased.

"The government allows such crazy incidents to go unpunished ... to go on forever, and there is no action against the crimes," Mantiri said.

"I would personally order the shooting of the criminals if I were still the chief of territorial affairs. Our security officers today are afraid that they might commit human rights violations."

"There is no violation if the act is done to protect the people."

Antinarcotics foundation, Ridma, said in a statement last night that widespread narcotics syndicates operating here could have been behind the attack.

"There is a great possibility that the narcotics mafia were behind the attack. The mafia are used to committing crimes which smell of religious and racial hatred," it said. (ylt/prb)