Subject: Abri 'aware' that attacks on Chinese being planned
Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 16:55:56 +0700
From: silvie@CONFIDENTIAL.id
Straits Times
May 28 1999
Abri 'aware' that attacks on Chinese being planned.
But troops are in place to foil any attempt to provoke riots during the
election, says a military spokesman
By SUSAN SIM
INDONESIA CORRESPONDENT
JAKARTA -- The Indonesian military is aware that extremist Islamic groups
linked to international terrorists might be planning attacks on Indonesian
Chinese during the election period, but gave its assurance yesterday that
troops were in place to foil any attempt to provoke riots.
"We know a small group of people is planning something," military spokesman
Brigadier-General Sudrajat told The Straits Times.
"But the danger of a repeat of last May's riots is very low. It is more
psychological warfare than otherwise."
He made the comments when asked about pamphlets circulating among the
ethnic-Chinese community here warning of an "anticipated massacre plan"
targeting "all Chinese Indonesians in Indonesia/Jakarta, especially males".
The pamphlets, in Indonesian, Chinese and English, are being disseminated
via e-mail, fax and among friends.
Two obtained by The Straits Times are written clearly from the perspective
of the Chinese Indonesian, with one offering "suggestions to target
victims" to strengthen their self-defence and to pray to God.
The English-language flyer, addressed to "all Chinese media worldwide,
all Chinese organisations worldwide", gives details of when, where and how
a plan called Jihad Wisabihillah will take place in Jakarta. The phrase
translated means Marytr's Holy War.
The target locations cited are where most of the city's Chinese businesses
and residents live, with details of how the attackers will operate and
how much they will be paid.
Another flyer written in Indonesian appears to be a report based on the
investigations of an Ustad Lukman Mas Said, who wishes to inform the
Chinese community of plans by a group of Islamic fundamentalists out to rid
Indonesia of the Chinese. It, too, offers details similar to the English-language
flyer.
Although several diplomatic sources said they were inclined to dismiss these
pamphlets as forgeries, especially given the extent of the details revealed,
two Chinese community leaders told The Straits Times that Mr Lukman
does exist, and did in fact meet secretly with some of them last week to
warn them about the attack plan that his group, the Jihad Wisabihillah Front,
was hatching.
Mr Lukman is now in hiding from his co-conspirators following the "leaks",
said a source who was present at the secret briefing.
He said he found the details believable because he had lived through the
50s, when Islamic extremists killed a friend's father simply because he was
Chinese.
Brig-Gen Sudrajat, asked about the details in the flyers, said it was common
for "people active in such groups" to go into specifics at the planning stage.
"They're a small group of people who are extremist in the sense that they
want to turn Indonesia into a Muslim nation. But Indonesia will keep fighting
them.
"Their numbers are very small. But we know they're linked to extremist
groups in the Middle East. They're connected to international terrorists."
He added: "Even if we know that people are planning to bomb a plaza,
but have no evidence, we cannot arrest them until the bombing takes
place." He was alluding to the human-rights dilemma that has senior officials
complaining of the military's increasing ineffectiveness in dealing with unrest.
But more than 30,000 troops were already on heightened alert following
intelligence that unnamed groups were out to disrupt the general election.
Patrols were also being deployed in critical areas such as the residential
areas named in the pamphlets.
Encouraging Chinese Indonesians to join the neighbourhood watch,
Brig-Gen Sudrajat said he was thankful people were disseminating those
pamphlets.
"Everybody should warn each other of the threat and encourage each
other to stay alert, to pray and to protect themselves.
"But I am quite confident nothing will happen. The military will
protect Chinese Indonesians because we acknowledge that these are our
people too."