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Assailants believed to be soldiers, Papernas demands clarification
Detik.com - May 14, 2007
Arfi Bambani Amri, Jakarta – One of the perpetrators of an attack on the offices of the Central Sulawesi branch of the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) is known to be a rogue member of the Indonesian military (TNI). Papernas is urging the TNI to provide an explanation for and to investigate the incident.
“We are seeking clarification, as to whether these kind of actions are [being carried out] systematically by the TNI to discredit our party”, said Papernas general chairperson Agus Priyono when contacted by Detik.com on Sunday May 13.
According to Agus a short time before the attack a phone call was received by the Central Sulawesi Papernas office located on Jl. Raja Moili in provincial capital of Palu city. The caller informed them that there would be an attack on the office.
“Police have already traced the phone call, and it is known to have originated from the girl friend of [one of] the perpetrator of the attack who is a rouge member of the TNI private first-class M”, said Agus.
Martin Sibarani, the chairperson of the Central Sulawesi Papernas branch confirmed that one of the attackers was a rogue TNI member. However Martin does not know if all of the assailants came from the TNI.
“Based on the testimonies of the victims and local people the one’s who attacked were TNI officers. Add to this the admission by the perpetrator that was arrested, named private first-class Makmur. He admitted to being a member of 711 Battalion from the Sub-district Military Command (Korem) 132 Tadulako”, explained Martin.
Based upon this incident, Papernas’s central leadership board says that there are indications of a systematic attempt to destroy their newly established party. It is systematic because it has happened at in number of different places around the country and the modus operandi is almost identical.
“It is impossible that these [attacks] are spontaneously [carried out] at the local level. There are definitely orders coming from a central command”, asserted Agus. (aba/aba)
[Translated by James Balowski.]
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