Jakarta, NU Online
The government should use a recently-passed law on mass organizations to disband the hard-line Islamic Defenders Front, known as the FPI, if it continues to conduct acts of public violence, a senior politician from the Democratic Party said.<>

“If the FPI acts this way, they have to be disbanded. There is no need for hesitation from the police with the ratification of the mass organization bill, [which can be] linked to our criminal law. Those involved should be punished severely,” Ruhut Sitompul said in Jakarta on Friday.

His comments came shortly after the forceful closure on Wednesday by the Islamic organization of an entertainment establishment in Sukorejo, Central Java. The raid turned violent amid protests by local residents.

On Thursday, a Toyota Avanza whose occupants included FPI activists fleeing from hundreds of angry Sukorejo residents, hit and killed a woman, Tri Munarti. At the time of the incident Tri was riding a motorcycle with her husband Yulianto, who survived the crash.

The FPI activists were reportedly on their way back to Sukorejo to pick up two activists who had been detained by local police in the previous day’s riot.

The incident garnered considerable public attention, especially after an amateur video of it circulated on the internet over the weekend.

Responding to the claims, FPI chief Munarman called Ruhut a “broken TV” which should be ignored.

“Just pretend he is a broken TV, without sound or picture,” he said. “He is loud, but does no work other than currying favor with higher-ups.”

Former vice president Jusuf Kalla expressed his disappointment over the Sukorejo incident and called on police to be vigilant in the interim before the new law on mass organizations takes effect.

“The law has yet to come into effect, but we should not conduct raids on just anything. The police should be the first, the police should not be late,” Kalla said on Friday.

“The police have to punish whoever is guilty, be it mass organizations or anyone else.”

Deding Ishak, the deputy chief of the Mass Organization Bill task force said on Friday that the policy will take effect only after having been signed by President Yudhoyono or 30 days after having been ratified by the parliament.

“Let us push the president to immediately [sign this bill],” Deding was quoted by Tempo.co.id, as saying.

Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq