Bomb charges rejected

Bomb charges rejected

By Karina Marlon

JAKARTA — The dictatorship is trying to blame the People's Democratic Party (PRD) and the National Democratic Struggle Committee (KNPD) for the January 18 explosion of a bomb in an apartment in Tanah Tinggi, an industrial area in central Jakarta.

Residents of the building seized one person found in the apartment, Agus Priyono. The military later claimed to have found several homemade bombs in the apartment, as well as pagers, a laptop and political documents.

At a press conference on January 27, the KNPD rejected the accusation that it was involved in the explosion and explained that it has no political or organisational affiliation to the PRD.

The KNPD said, "Whoever is responsible for the explosion, we must consider that this action stems from the people's dissatisfaction and distrust in the government... this event happened because the people have learned violence from the teaching of the government through its violent and repressive actions against striking workers, students, peasants, the urban poor, newspapers and so on."

The military has interrogated prominent businessmen Sofjan Wanandi and Surya Paloh, manager of Media Indonesia, claiming their names were found on documents in the apartment. Both men are on the executive of CSIS, a think-tank connected to right-wing business and military figures.

From GLW issue 304