INDONESIAN POLICE FINALLY ARREST ISLAMIC MILITANT MEMBERS

 By Andi Abdussalam

     Jakarta, June 4 (ANTARA) - About 800 Indonesian policemen raided the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) headquarters in Central Jakarta on Wednesday morning and arrested 58 of the group's members for attacking activists of the National Alliance for Freedom of Religion and Faith (AKKBB) at the National Monument Square (Monas) in Central Jakarta on Sunday.
     The arrest was made after FPI ignored an ultimatum by the Jakarta Police Chief, Insp. Gen. Adang Firman that 10 of FPI members who had been named suspects in the Monas attack should surrender to the police by midnight on Tuesday.
     The FPI members last Sunday afternoon attacked National Alliance for Freedom of Religion and Belief activists who were holding a peaceful rally at the National Monument leaving more than 70 people injured.
     The FPI, whose members were involved in the incident, was only one of several elements holding rallies under the "Komite Laskar Islam" (Islamic Legion Committee) chaired by Munarman.
     The FPI chief, Habib Rizieq Shihab was reported not among those arrested but he voluntarily accompanied the arrested members to the National  Police Headquarters.
     However, LKI commander Munarwan, who had led the attack on a peaceful rally of Alliance for Freedom of Religion and Belief activists at the Monas Square, was still at large.
     But police have named him a suspect along  with 20 others and called on him to surrender to the authorities.
     "We are calling on Munarman who is now wanted by police to immediately give himself up," chief spokesman of the National Police Headquarters, Insp. Gen. Abubakar Natprawira, told reporters on Wednesday.
     He said if Munarman felt he was innocent, he should be able to explain it to the police. If he continued to be on the run, it would only make his position more difficult and show that he was really guilty.
     The police spokesman said Munarwan had been included in the list of wanted persons (DPO) issued by the Jakarta Police.
     A number of his colleagues, including Muslim Lawyers Team members and Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) spokesman Achmad Michdan claimed they did not know Munarman's whereabouts.
     While the arrested FPI members were being intensively interrogated, Habib Rizieq was kept in another room at the National  Police Headquarters.
     He said he had come to the Police headquarters at his own freewill to make sure that the police would follow the proper procedures in treating the arrested FPI members.
     Ahmad Mihdan, a member of the Islam Legal Defense Team who accompanied the FPI members in the questioning, said the team had prepared some 30 lawyers to assist them.
     Earlier, a legislator of the Nation's Awakening Party (PKB) faction,  Imam Anshori Saleh, had asked the police to act professionally in handling  the FPI members involved in the Monas Square incident and not to be cowed by the group's threats or intimidation.
    "The National Police should not let them get away with it. They must address the FPI attack on the AKKBB activists professionally and properly," Imam Anshori said.
     He made the statement to comment on the police's sluggishness in handling the Monas Square violence because the FPI members were arrested only on Wednesday or three days after the incident.
     Other legislators, however, appreciate police in using persuasive approach during the raid on the FPI headquarters.
     House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I chairman Theo L Sambuaga has commended the police for arresting FPI members involved in the Monas Square incident without meeting resistance from the militant organization.
     "We, the House's Commission I, appreciate the police's ability  in arresting those allegedly involved in the attack on the AKKBB rally to commemorate the anniversary of  Pancasila  at the Monas square on Sunday, without any trouble," Sambuaga said.
     The police's action in arresting FPI members at the front's headquarters deserved appreciation as it did not trigger more violence, Sambuaga said.  
     He also said  FPI chairman Habib Rizieq also deserved an appreciation as he had surrendered to the police along with his  followers and not offered any resistance as earlier feared by many.
     Police Chief General Sutanto said until Wednesday afternoon his men  were still questioning the arrested members of FPI personnel, including the front's leader, Habib Rizieq Shihab.
     In the meantime, Adnan Buyung Nasution, member of the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres) on legal affairs, said police had taken the correct steps in arresting the FPI members.
     "I think the police action is already correct and excellent. They show their wisdom by giving the suspects an ultimatum until 12 midnight to surrender. But because they did failed to show up, the police arrested them," he said.
     The presidential adviser said that the firm action had positive aspects. "The law can be enforced and the authority of the state could be upheld," he added.


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(T.A014/A/A014/A/A014) 05-06-2008 00:49:58