TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Secretary general of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) Jafar Shodiq said that the government should not disband FPI organization. The statement was made in response to National Police chief Gen. Sutarman who has called for the disbandment of violent organizations, as reported by Antara News.
“If our members make mistakes, we will rebuke them and ask them to be responsible for their actions according to the law. We will also ask them to turn themselves in to the police. [Errant individuals should be punished according to the law] instead of disbanding the whole organization to which they belong,” he said on Saturday as quoted by Kompas.
He said the FPI’s Jakarta chapter had been reprimanded by the FPI’s central board for the violence they had caused during last week’s rally in front of City Hall. The rally was organized to demand the city council annul its plan to install Basuki ‘Ahok’ Tjahaja Purnama as the new governor as he is of Chinese descent and is a Christian.
He said that the FPI’s central board had also urged members of the Jakarta chapter who were responsible for the riot to turn themselves in to the police.
“In the FPI, there is a tradition that members who have made mistakes have to be responsible for their actions. The FPI was not established in order to violate the law,” he said.
On Friday, the FPI’s Jakarta chapter organized another rally at City Hall. This time, the FPI also invited women, children and the elderly.
This week’s rally had the same mission as last week’s; opposing the appointment of Ahok as Jakarta governor. The FPI has vowed it will continue organizing rallies until their demands are met.
ANTARA NEWS