Protesters threaten to arrest, beat Wardah

Protesters threaten to arrest, beat Wardah

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) chairman, A. Fadloli El Muhir,
issued a threat on Thursday that the forum's members would arrest
Wardah Hafidz, chairwoman of the Urban Poverty Consortium (UPC).

They were furious over Wardah's allegation that they were paid
by Governor Sutiyoso during a rally at City Hall on March 13.

The FBR members, carrying sticks and swords, chased dozens of
flood victims, who were also staging a rally at the same time.
The victims' rally was organized by UPC and other non-
governmental organizations.

The FBR members also planned to escort Wardah to the National
Monument (Monas) square to clarify her allegation.

"We'll demand she speaks in front of us. If she fails to prove
her allegation, we'll hand her over to the city police. But
first, we'll beat her up," Fadloli said.

"In my religion, slander is crueler than murder. She must
accept the consequences," he said in a meeting between 20 FBR
members and councillors Edy Waluyo, Hasan Ishak and Abdul Aziz
Mat' Nur on Thursday.

Shockingly, Edy -- the council chairman -- did not response to
the members' vindictive plan.

He even added fuel to their comments by saying that Wardah did
not represent the real poor people in the city.

"I was also once disappointed with Wardah as she asked the
administration to allow becak (pedicab) drivers to operate in the
city," he said.

Wardah, who received Yap Thiam Thien award in 2000, played
down the threat. She said she and the UPC did not have any
business with the protesters. She also said the FBR's members had
only acted based on orders they received either from the military
or the authorities.

"I only hope both military and the authorities no longer use
the masses to protect their own interests. It can and will spark
conflict in our fragile security situation in the city," she
said.