Police yet to interrogate FPI attackers
Police yet to interrogate FPI attackers
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Criticism is of the Jakarta Police has increased due to their
relative silence over the attacks on restaurants and
entertainment venues by the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) since the
beginning of Ramadhan.
"It's a shame that the police have done nothing to stop the
attacks (on nightspots). Vice President (Jusuf Kalla) has even
instructed the police not to allow similar attacks to recur,"
Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said on Monday after a briefing with
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
"It is not the FPI's authority (to raid businesses). They must
be arrested and questioned."
His statement comes in the wake of the latest reported attack
by the FPI at the Star Deli bar/restaurant in Kemang, South
Jakarta, on Friday at about 11:30 p.m. The attackers smashed the
doors and broke the windows before breaking into the restaurant
and destroying furniture and other items.
The South Jakarta Police said on Monday that they had
questioned seven people as witnesses, however none of them are
members of the FPI.
"They witnessed the raid at the crime scene. Indeed they told
us that FPI destroyed the place but we haven't summoned any of
them," South Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Ghufron said but did
not say why he had not questioned any of the attackers.
Bylaw No. 10/2004 on tourism stipulates that night clubs,
discotheques, massage parlors and sauna centers, not including
hotels, must close during the first two days and 17th day of
Ramadhan. Other entertainment centers like bars or billiard
halls, are allowed to stay open during Ramadhan until 1:30 a.m.
as determined by a gubernatorial decree.
"(Star Deli) did not violate the bylaw or the decree. The
raids have surely dealt a severe blow to the city's image in
terms of security and business. Even businesspeople who have
abided by the regulations were attacked," Jakarta Tourism Agency
head Aurora Tambunan said.
The Jakarta Public Order Agency head Soebagio criticized the
FPI attack as "simply a crime".
"Vandalizing other's property and assaulting the innocent are
a crime. The police must take action against the crimes even if
nobody reports it," he said.
Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly Hidayat Nurwahid
urged the FPI not to indiscriminately attack restaurants and
nightspots.
He said such acts were not a solution for such nightspots that
were perceived as being disrespectful of pious Muslims during
Ramadhan because violence would create new problems.
The FPI leadership has maintained that they would continue
raiding nightspots because the police were not doing enough "to
enforce the law".
Meanwhile, Tangerang Police officers have named four suspects
for their involvement in an attack on a billiard hall in Karawaci
on Thursday night, but did not have them in custody.
"The police are still looking for the four suspects. We found
out where they live, but none of them was at home," Jakarta
Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono said.
The series of attacks this year are not the first for FPI. The
group's leader Habib Rizieq Shihab was sentenced to a seven-month
prison term last year for sending his members to raid and attack
bars, restaurants and billiard centers over the last several
years. He was released in November 2003.