Police raid NGO office, arrest two and look for more
Police raid NGO office, arrest two and look for more
JAKARTA (JP): The police have raided the headquarters of Pijar Foundation, a non-governmental organization well-known for its outspokenness, arresting two of its activists.
The Thursday night raid has caused speculation, notably among activists here, that the long anticipated crackdown on Jakarta- based NGOs which criticize the bureaucracy has just begun.
Pijar activist Bonar Tigor Naipospos told The Jakarta Post that in the first raid, a dozen police officers came at about 10 p.m. Thursday and "picked up" Tri Agus, editor of the NGO's hard- hitting periodical Kabar dari Pijar or News from Pijar.
According to Bonar, the police came again yesterday and arrested another activist, Syahrul, and intended to arrest another two activists who happened to be away.
Bonar said Agus and Syahrul were arrested on charges of violating Article 154 of the Criminal Code on insulting the government in public.
Under the law, anyone found guilty of violating the article are liable to seven years imprisonment.
Last year, a Pijar activist Nuku Soleiman was sentenced to four years in jail for the same offense. He was charged with insulting President Soeharto in a demonstration.
Bonar said that the officers from the Central Jakarta police precinct also brought warrants to arrest activists Andi and Usman on Thursday night, but they were not available.
He speculated that the raid had to do with an edition of Kabar dari Pijar last year which criticized some of President Soeharto's policies after the closure of three magazines.
According to Bonar, on Thursday night the police also raided the headquarters of little-known Aldera Foundation, which is located near Pijar. No Aldera activists were arrested but the police confiscated documents, he said.
Aldera personnel were not available for comment.
The raid on two NGOs received condemnation from the Institute for the Defense of Human Rights and the Indonesian Front for the Defense of Human Rights yesterday. (pan)