Police name 10 GPI members as suspects
Police name 10 GPI members as suspects
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Less than 24 hours after arresting 10 members of the Islamic
Youth Movement (GPI) for allegedly targeting non-nationals in
connection with an antiwar rally, police named on Tuesday the
activists as criminal suspects.
Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Prasetyo told reporters the
GPI members were charged with Article 335, point 1(e) of the
Criminal Code on threat of violence, which carries a maximum
sentence of one year in jail.
However, Prasetyo said the police were still looking for the
taxi driver and three non-nationals, who were in the taxi when
the incident took place, as witnesses in the case.
The suspects, identified as Edi Rusli, Sofyan Sunaryo, Irsan
Fadila, Faisal, Zulfajri, Rasyid R. Zunun, Dede Nurhimawan, Ahmad
Saad, Nurul Ihsan and Bagus Tito Bastian, were arrested after
being caught red-handed rapping on the taxi's window to force the
non-nationals to sign an anti-U.S. statement. The incident took
place at the intersection of Jl. H. Agus Salim and Jl. Wahid
Hasyim in Central Jakarta following a rally in front of the U.S.
Embassy on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan.
The taxi and its passengers immediately departed the scene
after the police intervened and arrested the youths.
The intimidation is believed to be the first move deliberately
targeting non-nationals since the outbreak of public
demonstrations against the U.S.-led attack on Iraq flared up last
Thursday.
Echoing Prasetyo's remarks, Central Jakarta Police deputy
chief Adj. Sr. Ricky Wakano said they needed the testimony of the
witnesses to complete the case files.
"Please identify yourselves to the police so that we can
complete the investigation," Ricky appealed to the passengers of
the taxi.
Locally known as "sweeping", the term was coined during
similar campaigns of intimidation by radical group Islamic
Defenders Front (FPI) and other groups all across the country in
2001 following the U.S.-led, antiterrorism military action into
Afghanistan.
At that time, the police seemed unconcerned about stopping the
intimidation campaigns until several communities, like the
residential community of Jl. Jaksa, Central Jakarta, which is
popular among foreign backpackers, deployed its own guards to
protect their areas from raids by such groups.
Meanwhile, GPI chairman Suaib Didu claimed that Monday's
incident was only "a misunderstanding between police and the
GPI".
"We just wanted to conduct a poll among foreigners as to
whether or not they denounced the U.S. aggression on Iraq," said
Suaib at City Police headquarters. He was there to meet Jakarta
Police detective chief for crime against the state, Adj. Sr.
Comr. Tito Karnavian, to discuss the fate of his colleagues.
Due to the incident, Suaib said, the poll, which would have
been launched nationwide, was suspended pending the outcome of
the police investigation into the case.
"It is most likely, however, that we will continue with the
poll," said Suaib.
He said foreigners who refused to support the anti-U.S.
movement would be taken to the organization's office for
"questioning".
Commenting on Suaib's statement, National Police deputy
spokesman Sr. Comr. Zainuri Lubis asserted that police would
never allow the GPI to use violence to force non-nationals to
participate in the poll.
"They simply have no authority to force people to comply with
what they want. Neither do the police," said Zainuri.
The forceful taking of an individual could be charged under
Article 333 of the Criminal Code on taking people hostage, which
carries a maximum sentence of eight years in jail.
Zainuri said Suaib could not be arrested for his threatening
statement unless it was realized.