Adianto P. Simamora and Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Despite President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's call for action to stop violent groups, government agencies on Wednesday spoke with hard-liners to address the issue of acts of violence against minorities.
Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi met leaders of two hard-line Islamic organizations – the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) and the Islamic People's Forum (FUI) – to hear their suggestions on what to do about the Islamic minority sect Ahmadiyah.
In a meeting he described as "warm and friendly" at his office, Gamawan said he was committed to maintaining communication to find the best solution for the country.
When asked after the meeting by reporters about the President's instruction to disband violent mass organizations, Gamawan shrugged it off saying, "Later, later, that's a different topic."
Violence against religious minorities have increased in the past two years, with Muslim hard-liners, including the FPI and FUI, taking the law into their own hands and attacking anything they considered going against orthodox Islamic doctrine.
The most recent cases involved a fatal attack on Ahmadis in Cikeusik village, Banten, and attack on churches in Temanggung, Central Java. However, there is no conclusive evidence tying both cases to certain extremist groups.
The National Police, long criticized for siding with hard-liners and allowing them to rampage with impunity, have still not identified the culprits behind the two incidents.
National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo met with the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) in an attempt to seek advice on the case.
The head of the National Commission for Human Rights, Ifdhal Kasim, said the government's soft approach toward the cases would lead to more acts of violence.
"The serious problem is the government's lack of tough measures in resolving the cases while keeping extremists at bay by engaging them in discourse," he told The Jakarta Post.
The government has avoided taking action against violent hard-line groups in the country, arguing that their rights were protected by law and the Constitution.
Yudhoyono last week issued a call to disband such mass organizations, but his words were bereft of deeds.
On Tuesday, a mob of 100 people riding motorcycles attacked an Islamic boarding school in Pasuruan, East Java.
Ifdhal said the President's order was too vague, causing confusion among his subordinates. "It is not enough for the President to order the police or urge [ministers] to study regulations without clear direction. It confuses them," he said.
The director of the Wahid Institute, Yenny Zannuba Wahid, demanded the President give stern instructions and clear direction to address the series of acts of violence. "[Police chief] Timur and his subordinates should arrest and investigate the perpetrators and the mass organizations," she said in a statement.
Presidential spokesperson Julian Aldrin Pasha and the President's aide on political affairs, Daniel Sparringa, denied accusations that the President's stance lacked clear direction in resolving the issue.
Julian said the President had ordered police to take stern measures in response to the incidents, including in Pasuruan. "Police have begun investigating the incidents in Cikeusik and Temanggung," he told the Post.
Daniel said the President had given clear directions to prevent further outbreaks of religious violence in the country. "Some provincial police chiefs promised to shoot perpetrators on sight," he said.
Daniel said the Home Ministry was drafting a regulation to review the law on mass organizations that would allow the government to ban violent organizations but still ensure freedom of expression for the public while maintaining public safety.