Sukoharjo – The National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) continues to come under pressure. Again and again the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) has attempted to break up Papernas events. This time it was a meeting to establish a regional leadership board in Sukoharjo, Central Java, on Sunday April 29.

Without showing any hesitation, FPI members moved in and tried to evict Papernas members who had arrived at the Gajah Sukoharjo Building for the event. Tensions rose between the two camps and police moved in quickly before a clash could break out.

The two groups were then brought together for a dialogue facilitated by Sukoharjo Regent Bambang Riyanto. The FPI said it objected to Papernas because it has a communist ideology that his banned in Indonesia. In the end the Papernas members decided to postpone the meeting because it could potentially result in a brawl.

On March 29 Papernas demonstrators clashed with the FPI in the Dukuh Atas area on Sudirman, Central Jakarta. Several people were injured including two children and a middle-ranking police officer from the Tanah Abang sectoral police. (TOZ/Ferry Aditri)

[Translated by James Balowski.]