TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) lawyer Kapitra Ampera has confirmed that the organization will not join the so-called 212 rally tomorrow at the House of Representatives (DPR) building. He said that police investigation into FPI senior officials’ was not the reason behind the decision.
“It’s not it [questionings]. We need a cooling off period,” Kapitra told Tempo in South Jakarta on Sunday evening, February 19, 2017.
Kapitra, also the defense lawyer of the National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Ulema Council Edict (GNPF-MUI), said that tomorrow’s rally has nothing to do with the FPI or the GNPF-MUI. The GNPF-MUI advisor Rizieq Syihab, chairman Bachtiar Natsir and FPI spokesman Munarman will not attend the rally.
Those men are currently being investigated into by police. Rizieq is embroiled in alleged insult to the national ideology Pancasila handled by West Java Police. Munarman has been questioned by Bali Police as a suspect over alleged defamation against traditional security guards, known as pecalang. Meanwhile, Bachtiar Natsir has been questioned by Jakarta Police as a witness in alleged treason.
Kapitra said that the three senior officials of FPI and GNPF-MUI will not be present at the planned rally to maintain order. “If they showed up, people will move en masse, some could interpret it differently,” he said.
Kapitra added that Jakarta election is not over yet. He does not expect tomorrow’s rally to be seen as a political movement. “We are not involved, that’s not our concern, our concern is about law enforcement,” he said.
The so-called 212 rally will be held at the House of Representatives building tomorrow. The Islamic Ummah Forum (FUI) secretary general Muhammad Al Khaththath will lead the rally.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters from various regions had planned to join the rally, demanding the dismissal of Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama. They will also demand police to drop the investigations into ulemas, stop arresting students and detain Ahok.
Failing that, protesters will stage a sit-in at the Parliamentary Building. They also planned to throw pebbles, known as Jumrah ritual, at the building.
EGI ADYATAMA