Indah Setiawati, Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo suspended the city's Public Order Agency head Harianto Badjoeri on Friday, while the probe into the riot in Koja, North Jakarta, was handed over to the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI).
"To ensure the independence of the investigation, I am temporarily relieving the head of the agency from his duties," he told the city council exercising interpellation rights over the clash at the Mbah Priuk memorial complex that claimed three lives and injured 128 people.
The city handed the investigation to the PMI, saying it expected it to highlight issues in the fatal clash, while the city council also formed its own investigation team.
City Council Deputy Speaker Lulung Lunggana said an evaluation would be conducted to identify those in the city administration that should be held responsible for the violence.
The clash was triggered by a land dispute between state-owned port operator PT Pelindo II and the self-proclaimed heirs of revered Muslim figure, Arif Billah Hasan bin Muhammad Al Haddad, known as Mbah Priok, whose grave used to be at the memorial complex.
On Friday, Mbah Priuk heirs spoke with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
"I have serious concerns about the incident. It could have been prevented if there was coordination between the authorities and the residents," Yudhoyono was quoted as saying by Antara news agency.
The City Council exercised its first interpellation rights on Friday afternoon by questioning Governor Fauzi Bowo over the incident.
The line of inquiry by representatives from the eight parties in the council was directed at establishing who was responsible at the time.
They asked why public order officers did not pull back despite the tense situation and request by councilors attempting to mediate at the scene.
"Who instructed (the public order officers) to launch an attack? What about the alcoholic drinks that were allegedly found in Public Order Agency vehicles?" H.M. Subki, a councilor from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), asked.
Wanda Hamidah from the National Mandate Party faction (PAN) questioned why the governor ordered the raid on illegal buildings on the memorial site of a revered Muslim figure despite a warning from the National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM).
S. Andyka from the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) questioned the legal basis for the raid, claiming that the verdict issued by the North Jakarta District Court did not state that Pelindo had won the case over ownership of the land.
Fauzi responded that the North Jakarta municipality only received the Komnas HAM warning on the day of the raid. He said the raid was launched because Pelindo reported that illegal buildings around the tomb were included in a black list by the US Coast Guard in its audit of the ISPS Code for the Koja Container Terminal. The ISPS Code, a set of rules guaranteeing international ships' safety and access to terminal facilities is issued by the International Maritime Organization.
He said the verdict by the North Jakarta District Court on June 5, 2002, stated that the lawsuit filed by Mbah Priuk followers was not clear and that the city concluded that the land belonged to Pelindo, as stated in the 1987 land certificate.
The administration said it incurred financial losses from the clash of Rp. 22.9 billion, with 24 trucks, 36 cars, 14 pick-up trucks, one motorcycle, and 575 antiriot helmets, shields and vests destroyed.