The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is requesting clarification from the German Embassy in Jakarta regarding a report that one of its diplomats visited the headquarters of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) on Thursday this week.
“We’re currently still waiting for a statement from the German Embassy. We have asked for clarification for the initial communication,” said the spokesman for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Teuku Faizasyah.
Islamic Defenders Front attorney, Aziz Yanuar, claimed that a foreigner who was identified as a German diplomat visited the Secretariat of the Islamic Defenders Front Central Leadership Council in Petamburan, Central Jakarta, on Thursday 17th December.
Aziz said the diplomat wanted to understand the Islamic Defenders Front first-hand, and conveyed empathy for their leader Rizieq Shihab. Furthermore, General Secretary of the Islamic Defenders Front Munarman admitted that representatives of the German Embassy had visited him.
Munarman possesses two photos indicating a visit. The first photo is of two foreigners entering the Secretariat Office on Jalan Petamburan III. Meanwhile, the second photo shows a car with a number plate on a white background that is usually used by representatives of embassies in Indonesia. However, the photo does not clearly show the license plate number.
According to Munarman, the arrival of the German Embassy representative would trigger international attention.
“International attention to the extrajudicial killings of six martyrs will have an impact on Indonesia’s reputation in the international world,” he said.
Previously, six Islamic Defenders Front members are suspected to have been shot dead by the police. Two of them died in a shootout, while four others were shot in the car for resisting and trying to grab officers’ weapons.
Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights has investigated the shooting incident by examining a number of parties, including the Head of Metropolitan Police Inspector General Fadil Imran and Jasamarga regarding CCTV videos at the time of the incident. They are targeting the investigation to be completed in a month.
The German Embassy has been contacted by telephone and email but until this news was published, no response has been received.
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