The Jakarta Post, May 08, 2002
Hamzah Haz visits Ja'far in police cell
Yogita Tahilramani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The pressure on the police rose to dizzying heights on Tuesday when Vice President
Hamzah Haz visited the detained commander of the Laskar Jihad Muslim group, Ja'far
Umar Thalib, in his cell at the National Police Headquarters.
Hamzah reportedly conveyed his sympathies to Ja'far as "one Muslim to another".
The Laskar Jihad commander was arrested on May 4 at Surabaya's Juanda Airport on
charges linked to the Soya attack in Ambon, Maluku on April 28, which resulted in at
least 12 deaths. He has also been charged with insulting President Megawati
Soekarnoputri.
Hamzah, who is also the chairman of the country's third largest political party, the
United Development Party (PPP), was not the first prominent visitor received by Ja'far,
who also received visits by a number of other Muslim social and political leaders.
These visits have some parties concerned that political pressure could lead to Ja'far's
release.
"We Muslims are brothers. There's nothing wrong with visiting someone in trouble and
offering sympathy," Hamzah said. "The government has no intention of intervening.
The police had concrete evidence to arrest Ja'far."
The Laskar Jihad, along with another militia group, Laskar Mujahidin, has been
accused of spreading anti-Christian sentiments and provoking religious violence
across Maluku, where over 6,000 people have died during several years of communal
violence.
An official with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Arifin
Panigoro, questioned Hamzah's visit of Ja'far on Tuesday.
"This visit will invite discussion since Hamzah is Vice President. PDI Perjuangan is
waiting for an explanation of the purpose of the visit," Arifin said following a party
meeting led by President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is also the PDI Perjuangan
chairwoman.
Prior to Hamzah's arrival at the National Police Headquarters, leaders from a splinter
faction of the United Development Party, PPP Reformasi, visited Ja'far and offered him
their sympathy.
After meeting with Ja'far, the chairman of PPP Reformasi, noted Muslim preacher
Zainuddin M.Z., said Ja'far had done a "lot of good" for Muslims in South Maluku.
"The people of Maluku were already angry about the South Maluku Republic (RMS)
separatist rebels with their RMS flags. Whether Ja'far made that speech or not (which
allegedly incited the attack on Soya village), it would not have made a difference,"
Zainuddin said.
"Political nuances are stronger than matters of the law. We should always go with the
presumption of innocence," he said.
Police moved to arrest Ja'far following a report by Maluku Police chief Brig. Gen.
Soenarko Danu Ardianto. In his report, Soenarko said Ja'far told an audience of people
at the Al-Fatah Mosque on April 26 to "prepare their bombs and ammunition, and fire
them at the enemy in the name of Allah the Great".
Ahmad Sumargono of the Crescent Star Party (PBB), who also visited Ja'far on
Tuesday, said the House of Representatives was considering calling National Police
chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar to explain Ja'far's arrest.
On May 4 of last year, Ja'far was arrested at Juanda Airport and charged with being
responsible for the stoning death of one of his followers. Though the murder charge
has never been dropped, under the threat of rioting the police released Ja'far from
custody on May 15 and placed him under house arrest, from which he was released
on June 12.
The chief detective of the National Police's general crimes division, Brig. Gen. Aryanto
Sutadi, said on Tuesday the police were pressured to release Ja'far last year, and
hoped that this time detectives would "not be pressured continuously" to release him,
whether by politicians or by his paramilitary group.
"It is no joke arresting this man. We had to collect solid evidence before we made this
arrest ... I hope nothing gets in the way of our investigation of this case," Aryanto told
The Jakarta Post.
Ja'far's lawyers are scheduled to file a lawsuit on Wednesday at the South Jakarta
District Court against National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar for "wrongful arrest".
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