Prodita Sabarini, Jakarta – Members of a new leftist party on their way to a demonstration were set upon by hundreds of members of radical Islamic groups on Jl. Sudirman, Central Jakarta, on Thursday.
Members of the United National Liberation Party (Papernas), were traveling to the Shangri-la Hotel, where they planned to protest against the government's lack of action on the Millennium Development Goals.
But at around midday, hundreds of men from the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) and the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR) stopped the buses and began to throw rocks at them, accusing the party of supporting communism. Papernas estimated that at least five party members were injured and 17 buses were damaged.
The protesters, mostly women with their children, were on their way to the Shangri-la Hotel, just off Jl. Sudirman, Central Jakarta, where President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was scheduled to attend a Regional High Level Consultation on UN System Wide Conference. The conference was moved to the presidential palace, at the last minute.
The attackers threw rocks for about 10 minutes at the Papernas members, who were supported by passers-by and ojek drivers. City police arrested an FPI member, Muhammad Rofik, at the scene and detained him for questioning.
The groups, lead by the FPI, had gathered in the morning at Tugu Proklamasi in Central Jakarta. FPI secretary Irwan said they were holding an Indonesian Anti-Communist Society Joint Movement Against Papernas. The movement includes 15 organizations, including the FBR, Taruna Muslim and Red and White Defenders. "We will continue to fight the emergence of any organizations or parties heralding communism in any way," he was quoted by Antara as saying.
Dita Indah Sari, a member of Papernas' advisory council, said the party was not communist-ornamented. Dita, a prominent labor activist, added that people tended to associate Papernas with communism because its three main targets were wiping out the country's foreign debt, the nationalization of mining companies and strengthening the economy through domestic industry.
"People stigmatize us with communism, but we are not (a communist party) from whatever aspect people see us. I challenge anyone to prove that we are communist," Dita said, adding that the party's ideology was based on social democracy. She added that Papernas would bring the attack to the Jakarta Police to ask for an investigation.
The party's committee will also meet with several Islamic leaders, including Din Syamsuddin of Muhammadiyah, Hasyim Muzadi of Nahdlatul Ulama and Abu Bakar Ba'asyir to ask for information on the attack. "We want to know their viewpoints because the FPI always says that it's representing Islam," said Dita.
Due to the incident, dozens of buses stopped running, causing traffic on Jl. Sudirman heading to the Hotel Indonesia roundabout to become heavily congested.