We have covered the Islamic Defenders Front extensively as the foremost domestic jihadist group in Indonesia in recent years. As a domestic group, unlike those with formal ties to al-Qaeda, and one that most often saves its abuse for non-Muslims and Ahmadis (but not always), they have been tolerated and even encouraged by sympathizers on all levels of society. That apparently includes the national intelligence chief. "Scene: Ex-police chief denies FPI funding allegations," from the Jakarta Post, September 7 (thanks to Twostellas):
JAKARTA: National Intelligence Agency chief Sutanto scoffed at a WikiLeaks cable allegation that he funded hard-line group The Islam Defenders Front (FPI) while serving as National Police chief.
“There is no such thing. There has never been any funding for the FPI,” Sutanto said on Tuesday as quoted by tribunnews.com.
The cable stated that the police funded the FPI and used them as an “attack dog”.
Sutanto denied all the allegations made against him and the police.
“Ask [WikiLeaks]. None of it is true,” he said.
Spokesmen for the National Police and FPI have also denied the allegations from the leaked US diplomatic cable dated May 9, 2006.
I wouldn't be the least bit surprised.
Some members of the Front Pembala Islam (FPI) have close links to and some have also been members of extremist organisations in Indonesia such as Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and Jemaah Anshurut Tauhid (JAT) - both led at some time by recently convicted terrorist associate and radical cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir. Much more is alleged against the police in the Indonesian language media, which also suggests that police effectively created FPI to act as a proxy for them, to keep control of the radicals similarly to ISI and the Taliban and then, also like ISI, lost control of it. There is a great deal of evidence to support this of which the provision of considerable sums of money is only part of the story. Some police thought it better that they control the bulk of the radical activists rather than Ba'asyir. But in practice the police frequently turned a blind eye to some of their worst excesses, such as their 'sweeping' activities during Ramadan.
Police were never around when they destroyed property and beat up anyone they considered transgressing 'God's law'. This was no coincidence. When the media reported the violence the police response was to admonish FPI for 'going too far' - but rarely if ever arrested or charged any of them for it. After the Danish cartoon protests, where they attacked the US and Danish consulates in Jakarta and Medan, the military warned the police not to continue to let FPI get out of control. During FPI's infamous sweeping during Ramadan that year, police literally cordoned off the main shopping, bar and nightclub area in Jakarta (known as 'Block M') - a prime target for FPI - as its owned by the military!
Last year FPI thugs viciously attacked liberal Indonesian groups protesting violence against minorities in Merdeka Square right opposite the Presidential Palace. Police stood by and watched, but did not intervene as the thugs chased down people and beat them with sticks etc. The police knew beforehand that the FPI planned to attack the demonstration. After the incident, which attracted criticism from a very angry President Yudhoyono (it was all over the news and on TV), the police actually paid FPI thugs to stay in their designated areas - out of the public eye as it were. They very reluctantly arrested and charged some of the worse offenders of the Merdeka Square attack - easily identifiable as it was all on film. They received minor sentences of a few months or fines from the courts.
To be fair, some senior police are very pissed off with this - it was created by former 'green' (i.e. Islamic) senior police over a decade ago, most of whom have long retired - but some still carry on the 'tradition' - and the police have inherited the mess. Ironically enough it is the military who take the dimmest view of this. They believe the police incapable of controlling radicals like FPI and other instigators of social violence such as that late last year which saw the murder of several Ahmadis by a mob led by - you guessed it - FPI linked agitators.
In Indonesia nobody is surprised about this at all - its long been an open secret that the FPI had 'special protection' - now we all know why.