Probe into Ngawi incident sought

Probe into Ngawi incident sought

JAKARTA: Lawyers representing the Ngawi Muslim Forum and the
Communication Forum of Ahlul Sunnah Wal Jamaah, known as Laskar
Jihad or Holy Warriors, lodged a complaint with the National
Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) on Friday seeking a
thorough investigation into alleged human rights violations by
police in the so-called Ngawi incident.

The lawyers, headed by M. Mahendradatta, told Komnas HAM that
police arbitrarily arrested and intimidated activists and
supporters of the Ngawi Muslim Forum and Laskar Jihad in
December.

"We admit that there was no gross human rights violations in
the incident, but human rights issues do not concern gross
violations only, but also cover small violations stipulated in
Law No. 5, 1998 on the Anti-Torture Convention," M. Mahendradatta
said.

The lawyers were received by Komnas HAM member Soegiri.

Riots broke out in Ngawi, East Java in mid-December after a
group of people, presumably supporters of President Megawati
Soekarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan), attacked a house belonging to a Ngawi Muslim Forum
activist and an office belonging to Laskar Jihad.

The attacks were followed by the alleged arbitrary arrests by
police of Ngawi residents and sympathizers of the Ngawi Muslim
Forum. -- Antara