“The agency’s former head said it was totally normal for his officers to fight back as they were attacked by more and more people from almost all directions,” National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) commissioner Johny Nelson Simanjuntak said.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a questioning of Tanjung Priok seaport police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Rahmat Wibowo and non-active city Public Order Agency chief Harianto Badjoeri on Thursday.

Johny said both Rahmat and Harianto had admitted that the two institutions had held several meetings before agreeing the agency would clear illegal structures from government land at Tanjung Priok.

“The police chief, however, said he had asked the Public Order Agency to delay the eviction plan and stick to a persuasive approach,” Johny told The Jakarta Post.

Three people died and more than 150 others were injured when thousands of agency officers clashed with defenders of a sacred monument honoring a historical figure once buried in Koja, Tanjung Priok.

The incident, which was the worst case of civil unrest in the capital since the 1998 riots, was triggered by a land dispute between state-owned port operator PT Pelindo II and self-proclaimed heirs of revered Muslim figure Arif Billah Hasan bin Muhammad Al Haddad, known as Mbah Priuk, whose grave used to be in Koja.

Al  Haddad’s alleged heirs, including Habib Salim bin Umar Al Athos, chairman of the Jakarta branch of the hard-line Islam Defenders’ Front, held weekly Koran recitals and anniversary celebrations at the shrine to honor Mbah Priuk’s role in propagating Islam in the area.

The commission decided to schedule a summons next week of Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo, who was absent from Wednesday’s questioning session because he was attending to a meeting with city councilors, Johny said.

“Along with the governor, we will also invite related institutions, like the local military district, PT Pelindo and the National Land Agency,” he said.

Fauzi told the city council Thursday that the public order agency had received Rp 324 million (US$35,940) for operational costs from PT Pelindo to clear the land of illegal structures.

Earlier, a city councilor questioned an unidentified media report that said the Public Order Agency had received Rp 11 billion from Pelindo.

On Wednesday, the Jakarta Police said they had questioned at least 10 witnesses in their investigation into the violence.

City police spokesman Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar said police investigators had identified the witnesses after conducting a field investigation and analyzing video footage of the riot captured by TV stations.

“Some of them are local residents and port workers,” Boy said.

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