Papernas reports leaders of FPI and LPI to police

Translated from Media Indonesia - April 9, 2007

Jakarta -- The central leadership board of the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) reported the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and the Islamic Defenders Militia (LPI) to the Metro Jaya regional police on Monday April 9.

Papernas general chairperson Agus Priyono said that the report that was made at the Metro Jaya National Police Service Center was related to the deprivation of liberty.

In the police report numbered 1465/K/IV/2007/SPK Unit II Agus reported the LPI chairperson Habib Muhamad Asagfar and FPI chairperson Habib Rizieq on charges of deprivation of liberty and disagreeable actions in accordance with Articles 333 and 335 of the Criminal Code.

Agus said that the attack by the FPI and LPI on March 29 can be categorised as the deprivation of the liberty to express an opinion. The attack also disrupted the mass rally that Papernas planned to hold on nationalising the mining industry.

"Whereas by law, we are free to express an opinion", said Agus. Moreover Papernas had already informed the police of the action beforehand and had obtained an official receipt from the national police headquarters numbered

STTP/YAMIN/041/2007/BAINTELKAM.

Agus also said that the attack was premeditated. "I see that there is another party behind all this", he said. He also appealed to those parties that dislike Papernas to take legal action against them rather

then by using violence.

One of Papernas' affiliated organisations (the Urban Poor Union, SRMK) had earlier reported the FPI and the LPI to the Metro Jaya police on Wednesday April 4. In police report number 1426/K/IV/2007/SPK unit

II, SRMK claimed that its several of its members had been injured in the clash that took place in the Dukuh Atas area of Central Jakarta on March 29.

The head of Papernas' advocacy and legal team, Roder Nababan, said that the two mass organisations had committed criminal acts of oppression, a mass attack and immorality. "[Violating] Articles 352, 170 and

281 of the Criminal Code", said Roder.

Nababan said that the violent action took place when Papernas was holding a series of peaceful actions at the National Education Department, the Shangri La Hotel, the Department of Labour and Proclamation Monument. "When we were demonstrating at the Shangri

La, protesters wearing FPI paraphernalia suddenly

attacked us".

During the incident that occurred alongside the State Bank of Indonesia building on Jl. Sudirman the attackers armed themselves with rocks, knives and other weapons such as catapults. As a consequence a number of Papernas members were injured. Several women who also took part in the demonstration suffered sexual harassment when they were "groped

at" by the attackers. (Ars/OL-03)

[Translated by James Balowski.]