The Jakarta Post, October 26, 2004
Police yet to interrogate FPI attackers
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Criticism is of the Jakarta Police has increased due to their relative silence over the
attacks on restaurants and entertainment venues by the Islam Defenders Front (FPI)
since the beginning of Ramadhan.
"It's a shame that the police have done nothing to stop the attacks (on nightspots).
Vice President (Jusuf Kalla) has even instructed the police not to allow similar attacks
to recur," Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso said on Monday after a briefing with President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
"It is not the FPI's authority (to raid businesses). They must be arrested and
questioned."
His statement comes in the wake of the latest reported attack by the FPI at the Star
Deli bar/restaurant in Kemang, South Jakarta, on Friday at about 11:30 p.m. The
attackers smashed the doors and broke the windows before breaking into the
restaurant and destroying furniture and other items.
The South Jakarta Police said on Monday that they had questioned seven people as
witnesses, however none of them are members of the FPI.
"They witnessed the raid at the crime scene. Indeed they told us that FPI destroyed
the place but we haven't summoned any of them," South Jakarta Police chief Sr.
Comr. Ghufron said but did not say why he had not questioned any of the attackers.
Bylaw No. 10/2004 on tourism stipulates that night clubs, discotheques, massage
parlors and sauna centers, not including hotels, must close during the first two days
and 17th day of Ramadhan. Other entertainment centers like bars or billiard halls, are
allowed to stay open during Ramadhan until 1:30 a.m. as determined by a
gubernatorial decree.
"(Star Deli) did not violate the bylaw or the decree. The raids have surely dealt a
severe blow to the city's image in terms of security and business. Even
businesspeople who have abided by the regulations were attacked," Jakarta Tourism
Agency head Aurora Tambunan said.
The Jakarta Public Order Agency head Soebagio criticized the FPI attack as "simply
a crime".
"Vandalizing other's property and assaulting the innocent are a crime. The police
must take action against the crimes even if nobody reports it," he said.
Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly Hidayat Nurwahid urged the FPI not
to indiscriminately attack restaurants and nightspots.
He said such acts were not a solution for such nightspots that were perceived as
being disrespectful of pious Muslims during Ramadhan because violence would create
new problems.
The FPI leadership has maintained that they would continue raiding nightspots
because the police were not doing enough "to enforce the law".
Meanwhile, Tangerang Police officers have named four suspects for their involvement
in an attack on a billiard hall in Karawaci on Thursday night, but did not have them in
custody.
"The police are still looking for the four suspects. We found out where they live, but
none of them was at home," Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono said.
The series of attacks this year are not the first for FPI. The group's leader Habib
Rizieq Shihab was sentenced to a seven-month prison term last year for sending his
members to raid and attack bars, restaurants and billiard centers over the last several
years. He was released in November 2003.
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