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.