Police question men from Maluku, East Timor
Police question men from Maluku, East Timor
JAKARTA (JP): Tanjung Priok port police in North Jakarta
detained 113 new arrivals for questioning on Friday for
possession of sharp weapons and suspicion of intending to cause
public disorder.
Seaport police chief Lt. Col. Edward Aritonang identified 13
of the men as residents of riot-torn Maluku and the other 100 as
East Timorese residing in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara. The men
were arrested as they disembarked from two intra-island motor
vessels.
The first 13 men, suspected to have one or two sharp weapons
in their possession, were passengers of M.V. Lombelo, which
arrived at the port at 3 a.m. from Maluku, he said.
Although the group was still undergoing questioning, Aritonang
admitted that preliminary questioning failed to confirm the
initial police suspicions.
"We could not find any solid evidence so far that they came
here to cause trouble. But they are still detained for further
questioning," Aritonang said.
The 100 others were hastily stopped by officers from passing
through the port gate immediately after they disembarked from
M.V. Dobonsolo, a regularly scheduled motor vessel which serves
routes to and from Jakarta and several ports in the eastern part
of the country, including Kupang.
The vessel arrived Friday afternoon.
Aritonang said the security officers stopped the East Timorese
because they feared the men intended to cause disturbances in the
city.
"We were worried that they might have come here on purpose to
make trouble. So, I contacted the Jakarta Police chief (Maj. Gen.
Noegroho Djajoesman) to come by," he explained.
After questioning, the East Timorese, who allegedly did not
pay for tickets on the vessel, were finally allowed to enter the
city.
Dozens of police and armed military personnel were deployed at
the seaport and on board the vessels minutes before the ships
docked.
The authorities are afraid that the deadly sectarian clashes
which began in Maluku a year ago and flared this week in Lombok,
West Nusa Tenggara, could spread to the capital through the
actions of provocateurs.
Noegroho met with the 100 East Timorese and asked them why
they traveled to Jakarta.
Some explained that they wanted to report violations allegedly
committed by the Australian-led International Force for East
Timor (Interfet) to the office of the National Commission on
Human Rights.
"If that is the case, then please go ahead. You have every
right to (report), but you have to promise me that you people
will not create trouble here," Noegroho told them.
He earlier said that he would do his utmost to prevent
sectarian unrest in the capital.
"I have commanded my officers to arrest any provocateurs who
might want to cause a breach of the peace in my capital. There
should be no fights on any issue here." (ylt)