Aida Aprianti praying at the grave of public order officer Ahmad Tajudin, 26,
her fiance who was killed in clashes between residents and authorities
over the tomb of Mbak Priok on Wednesday.
Both sides met on Thursday to try to mediate a peaceful resolution.
A day after the worst rioting the capital has seen in more than a decade left three dead and more than 140 injured, the Jakarta administration is trying to make amends.
During a visit on Thursday to the site in North Jakarta that had been a virtual war zone the previous day, Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo pledged to make the tomb of Muslim missionary Mbah Priok a historical site.
Fauzi expressed regret over Wednesday morning’s clash between 2,000 public order officers and hundreds of residents, which arose from a misunderstanding that the officers were there to tear down the tomb of the 18th-century cleric located inside the Tanjung Priok Port.
“The city will not move the grave,” Fauzi said. “We will fully restore it so that the people of Jakarta can visit the site and bear witness to how Islam spread in the city.”
Insp. Gen. Wahyono, Jakarta’s police chief, said the force would ensure the security and preservation of the site.
“We sincerely apologize for yesterday’s incident, which should never have occurred,” he said. “We urge local residents to clear up the mess so we can commence with the renovation, with the least disruption to those visiting the tomb.”
Separately, Armed Forces chief Gen. Djoko Santoso said five companies, totaling about 450 soldiers, from the Jakarta Regional Military Command had been deployed to guard government facilities in North Jakarta against possible destruction.
“They will only guard vital facilities like the Pertamina oil station located in North Jakarta,” Djoko said, adding that police were primarily responsible for ensuring security in the area.
The Jakarta Police also sent about 600 officers to the affected area to prevent further riots and looting.
Following the governor’s visit to the site, residents represented by the descendants of Mbah Priok arrived at City Hall to discuss the dispute with Deputy Governor Prijanto, the head of port operator PT Pelindo II, RJ Lino, and other city officials and representatives of local community groups.
Pelindo, whose claim to the land around the tomb led to Wednesday’s attempted eviction, promised to build an underground tunnel for pilgrims wishing to visit the tomb, to keep the container traffic to Tanjung Priok Port on the road next to it flowing as smoothly as possible.
Lino said the 400-meter-long tunnel would cost more than Rp 1 billion ($111,000) to build. It was also agreed at the meeting that the tomb’s gate, pavilion and assembly hall would be moved to make way for a road Pelindo was seeking to build.
Prijanto also confirmed that the families of those killed or injured in Wednesday’s clash would be compensated, but did not disclose any amount. Three public order officers were killed in the daylong riots, while more than 140 people were injured.
Following claims of excessive use of force by public order officers, Prijanto said the clash would be investigated based on prevailing laws and that all parties must abide by any legal rulings. He added that he had asked the Red Cross to investigate the incident.
“We still need public order officers, especially for land disputes, since the city gets a lot of petitions on that particular issue,” he said. “They are an important enforcement institution for individuals’ propriety rights.”
In response to the request, former vice president and Indonesian Red Cross chairman Jusuf Kalla met with the volunteer organization’s board on Thursday.
“We’re looking into what kind of investigation the deputy governor expects from the Red Cross,” Kalla said after the meeting. “We view yesterday’s incident as an act of violence and chaos, and we would like to help within the scope of a humanitarian organization, not as a criminal or even civil investigator.”
