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| Southeast Asia |
| FPI Attacks Nightspots, Police Crash |
| 2002-10-05 |
| About 500 members of the radical Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) attacked nightspots in Jakarta’s Chinatown in the early hours of Friday on the occasion of a public holiday commemorating the Prophet Muhammad’s ascension to heaven. Armed with sticks and stones, the militants attacked a pool hall in West Jakarta at 12.30am, detikcom online news agency reported. The mob smashed television sets, lights, air conditioners, pool tables and cues. Put on their turbans and smashed everything in sight, eh? What piety... The radicals then moved on to the Eksotik Discotheque Raya at 1.15am. One neighborhood official was reportedly injured while attempting to stop the white-robed thugs from vandalizing five cars parked outside the disco. Yeah, people usually aren't armed when they go to a disco... Unreliable (drunk) sources said the FPI had also approached Jakarta’s main backpacker street, Jalan Jaksa, during the night but decided against staging any raids there. Guys hanging around there were too tough-looking, I guess... Detikcom reported that 10 Mobile Brigade police were injured during the night in Chinatown when responding to a report on the FPI attacks. Their vehicle crashed into a car which had suddenly stopped. All 10 officers were hospitalized. So it wasn't the tough Islamist guys who beat them up... FPI has regularly attacked entertainment venues deemed un-Islamic, especially during Muslim holidays and the fasting month of Ramadhan, which this year commences on November 7. Analysts say the group’s actions are motivated more by the lure of protection money than any desire to uphold religious ideals. How Islamic! Police did not arrest any of the FPI members involved in Friday’s attacks. That way they can have more next week... Observers say authorities are afraid to take on the organization as it was allegedly formed and funded by wealthy generals close to ex-president Suharto. And wotta surprise that is. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #1 Oops! I seem to remember what happened to Indonesia's Chinese minority, circa 1965. |
| Posted by: Allah the Dog Faced God 2002-10-05 22:45:00 |