Jakarta – The head of Nadhlatul Ulama [NU, Association of Muslim Scholars)] Abdurrahman Wahid openly and during the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika Dialogue Forum in Jakarta, Tuesday night, said that the Humanika Foundation was involved in the riots in Tasikmalaya some while ago.

"The Humanika Foundation was involved in the Tasikmalaya riot. Please, take me to court. I can prove it," said Gus Dur, Abdurrahman's nickname, asserted before thousands of participants, a large part of which were youth figures.

When the head of Pancasila Youth Yorrys Raweyai who accompanied Gus Dur at the podium and Edwin Sfihara, one of the heads of GP Ansor, who became the moderator in the program with the topic "Analysis and Anticipation of the Political Dynamics of 1977 and the Implications of Entering the 1998 Public Sessions of the MPR" showed an attitude of surprise.

Gus Dur was scheduled to appear along with the Armed Forces Social-political Head, Army Let-Gen Syarwan Hamid, but Syarwan was unable to attend.

Gus Dur's statement was in answer to a question by Permadi, one of the participants, who asked if Gus Dur's statements about the "Green Dragon Operation" (an operation planned by particular people and carried out in the NU base to discredit NU) in the Situbondo and Tasikmalaya riots had strong evidence and not just a baseless rumor.

In his answer, Gus Dur expressed his seriousness that he had original documents and was ready to have it proved in court who it was who planned to start the riots and the place where the meeting was held.

According to notes, they are active in the Humanika Foundation and among others included Egi Sujana and Bursah Zarnubi. "Please, if Egi Sujana denies it", said Gus Dur. Some time ago, Egi denied Gus Dur's statement.

During this opportunity, Gus Dur also said that there were no NU members involved in these riots.

"A person may make a riot hundreds of times, but NU no. Perhaps the green dragon will emerge again which is different or a different dragon", he said.

As is known, large numbers of people at the end of 1996 went into the streets and rioted in the city of Tasikmalaya. The riot started with the actions of a number of police "figures" (oknum) toward three Islamic teachers and a teacher from the Islamic school in that city.

The riot which paralyzed economic activity in Tasikmalaya, behind which it is clearly known that it was not carried out by religious teachers from the school. The destruction and burning of shops and places of worship were carried out by irresponsible social groups. (Antara News Agency).

[Received from "News from PIJAR" - Translated by James Balowski]