Budi Sugiharto/Hendra & GB, Surabaya – Around 2,000 thousand demonstrators calling themselves "The Association of Sampang People" from the island of Madura, East Java province, rallied at the military court/military attorney's office located in the provincial capital, Surabaya. They demanded the elected Sampang governor immediately face trial and be sentenced to death. They hung posters, one reading "Hang Fadhilah!"
On Wednesday, the demonstrators – Sampang residents and Sampang people living in Surabaya – gathered at the Bungkul park to pray together. After that, around 10.30am local time, they went to the military court – around 7 meters away.
On the street, the noisy traffic was cheered up with rally trucks, cars and bikes ridden by the Madurese demonstrators while tens of older demonstrators wore sarongs.
Several posters were hung – "The Military Auditor has the New Order's Attitude", "Fadhilah appointed, Sampang explodes", "Hang Fadhilah" and the "Corrupter Fadhilah". In addition, several flags from the 'Pagar Nusa' martial arts association, affiliated to the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia's largest Muslim organisation, were hung up.
Fadhilah Budiono of the Indonesian Armed Forces/Police faction and backed by the United Development faction (F-PP) was reelected as regent of Sampang on July 22, 2000 after obtaining 23 votes in the 45 seat assembly. He defeated his opponent from the National Awakening Party (PKB), the largest faction with 18 seats. President Wahid nominally heads of the PKB which is affiliated to the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).
So far, Fadhilah has yet to be inaugurated because those against him continue to claim that his election was illegal. In addition, he was allegedly involved in misappropriating rice supplies valued at Rp 1.6 billion intended for refugees living in Madura from Sambas, West Kalimantan.
To resolve this case, the military police detachment submitted the file to the Military court/Military auditor but the file was returned back the file to the military police detachment without any further explanation.
There has been much anger and tension within the community over the case. The anti-Fadhilah camp initiated a action at the Military court and demanded the institution immediately bring Fadhilah into court.
"We assumed that the Military court has tried to protect Fadhilah by returning back the file of the investigation from the Military police detachment. For this, we charged that Fadhilah immediately face trial by a Military court and sentenced to death according to Law numbered 31, 1999 article two," said the coordinator of today's demonstration, Subaidi.
During the demonstration, a man named H Pading attempted to provoke the demonstrators. Angry demonstrators almost caught and beat him but he managed to escape.
Meanwhile, as many as 10 representatives of the demonstrators held a dialogue with the head of the military court, Col. FX J Sukiman. According to Firmansyah, it was tough session. Sukiman denied the allegation that the Military court had protected Fadhilah.
Furthermore, he reasoned that the rejection of the file submitted by the military police detachment did not mean the end of the case. Sukiman told the reps that the file had been given to the East Java Chief police detective unit. Because the case involves a misappropriating the rice supplies- a civil matter- a 'connectivity team' of police and military personnel will handle the case.
According to Sukiman, the file had been checked by the Military prosecutor attorney in Surabaya. After studying the file, it was submitted to the Military prosecutor attorney in Jakarta. After this, Sukiman continued that the Military prosecutor attorney in Jakarta will form the team of connectivity.
However, the demonstrators brushed aside these matters. They continued to demand Fadhilah be detained and face trial. They said that the official investigation report (BAP) had recorded that Fadhilah admitted he was responsible for the misappropriation of the rice aid.
As of 12.20pm local time, the dialogue continued while security officers stood watch outside the chambers. Hundreds of police and one water canon were on alert.
The case seems to be a never-ending source of friction. On September 4, 2000, hundreds of demonstrators gathered to protest the election of Fahdilah and the town of Sampang came to a complete standstill as government offices closed down and the town's entry and exit points were blocked by the angry mob.
The following day, they returned and destroyed around 85% of the local Regent's offices and government chambers. Many of those protesting were Madurese refugees forced to flee Sambas, West Kalimantan, and return to Madura because of ethnic unrest in the late 1990s. It was they who accused Fadhilah of misappropriating rice supplies intended for refugees.
On Wednesday, 182 village heads from Sampang regency – Fadhilah's supporters – demanded that the East Java Governor immediately inaugurate the elected regent without ignoring the ongoing legal process. Orations were held and the demonstrators sang in Madurese.
The upshot of this demonstration was that, if Fadhilah wasn't inaugurated immediately, Sampang would be ruined. Coordinator of the action and head of West Ketapan village, HM Nurun Tajela, said, "Of 189 village heads in Sampang, there's only four not here so this represents the people of Sampang." The deadlock continues.