A fugitive, wanted for violently attacking a religious tolerance rally, sent a video to police and several TV stations on Thursday of him imitating Osama bin Laden, saying he would not surrender unless the government banned Jamaah Ahmadiyah.
Munarman, a former rights activist, appeared in the video wearing a white cassock and a pink scarf (keffiyeh), said he would own up to what he had done only if the government banned Ahmadiyah, a minority Islamic sect dubbed "heretical" by a government panel.
"Ahmadiyah, as has been decided, is a heretic. It is not negotiable," he said.
Before joining the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) and later becoming commander of its Islam Troop Command wing, Munarman was the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (KontraS) coordinator in Aceh in 1999. He became the chairman of the Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) in 2005, but resigned in 2006 due to an internal conflict.
The FPI has been blamed for the violent attacks on National Alliance for the Freedom of Faith and Religion (AKKBB) activists, who were rallying Sunday at the National Monument to mark the
63rd year of Pancasila state ideology.
A picture of Munarman throttling a man identified as a participant of the rally appeared on the front page of Koran Tempo.
He later held a press conference on Tuesday at the FPI headquarters in Petamburan, Central Jakarta, demanding the paper apologize, saying that the man was a member of his command.
Following Sunday's attack, police arrested 59 members of the FPI along with its leader Habib Rizieq Shihab on Wednesday morning. Shihab was declared a suspect in the case later in the
day.
All of the 59 arrested were released on Thursday except for six. Police said they are still searching for 14 other suspects including Munarman.
"The six people arrested are part of the 20 people wanted for the attacks. Munarman is included in the 14 fugitives we are looking for," said National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Abu Bakar Nataprawira, as quoted by Antara newswire on Thursday.
Former president Abdulrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid said that a general was helping to hide Munarman, but refused to name the general.
"This general was commanded by a state official. I know his name, I know his address. That is to say he is only a gopher," Gus Dur was quoted as saying by detik.com.
Anton Medan, a cleric from Pondok Pesantren (Islamic boarding school) At-Taibin in Cibinong, Bogor, said Munarman might surrender himself on Thursday night.
"I've been waiting for confirmation from a high-rank National Police official. As soon as I receive a response, I will go to Jakarta to meet him and then to the Greater Jakarta Police to turn over Munarman," Anton said, as quoted by Antara news agency.
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