Arifin Asydhad, Jakarta – The National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) is calling on the national police to fully investigate the attack on its members by the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI). The attack should be categorised as a criminal act.

The head of Papernas’ Legal and Human Rights Department, Iwan Dwielaksono, conveyed this request when contacted by Detik.com on Thursday March 29. “We are calling on security forces, the national police in particular to immediately investigate this criminal act”, he said.

The FPI attack on Papernas is a form of anarchy and intimidation. On account of the attack, Papernas has clearly been adversely affected. “Our members were injured, while many busses were damaged. A mobile sound system was also damaged”, he said.

According to Iwan, in order to hold the mass rally at the Proclamation Monument Papernas had already submitted an official notification to the national police. Papernas was exercising its freedom of expression in accordance with procedures. Because of this therefore, if a group then disrupts the event, it become the responsibility of security forces.

Contrary to accusations from a number of groups, Iwan also asserted that his party is not communist. “In our statues and rules of association, the principles of our party are the principles of populist democracy based on [the state ideology of] Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution”, explained Iwan.

Iwan said he keeps wandering why his party’s events are constantly disrupted and attacked by certain groups. Prior to the attack in Jakarta, Papernas was also attacked as many a three times at events held in Surabaya, Yogyakarta and Malang. “There are indications that the attackers are from the same group”, he said. (asy/asy)

[Translated by James Balowski.]