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