Suspects named in Kontras attack

Suspects named in Kontras attack

A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Three suspects have been named in the attack on the office of the
Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras),
city police spokesman Sr. Comr. Prasetyo said over the weekend.

The three suspects, members of nationalistic and pro-military
youth group Pemuda Panca Marga (PPM), were charged after police
questioned 15 witnesses and collected sufficient evidence, said
Prasetyo.

He declined to reveal the suspects' names, saying that the
police were still investigating the case. The three men are being
held at the Central Jakarta Police station.

"The number of suspects and witnesses could increase,
depending on how the investigation unfolds," Prasetyo said after
taking part on Saturday in a discussion on violence, particularly
against the Kontras office.

Prasetyo said the three suspects denied that the attacks had
been deliberately planned, saying that they became angry after
they could not find Munir, the former chairman of Kontras who is
known to be outspoken and critical of the military and the
government.

Meanwhile, Kontras coordinator Ori Rachman demanded that the
city police focus the probe on finding the masterminds behind the
attack.

"Capturing the masterminds would be the most effective way to
prevent similar attacks from happening again," said Ori after the
discussion.

Kontras, which has been critical of the military and the
government, has been the target of attacks since 2000, when a
grenade exploded in front of the Kontras office in Central
Jakarta. This was followed by a string of other attacks,
including one by a mob in 2002, in which office furniture and
files were destroyed.

The latest attack occurred last Tuesday, when about 100
members of the PPM, clad in military fatigues, attacked the
office and assaulted five staff members for voicing criticisms
against the war in Aceh.