2023 Bitung clashes
Part of religious conflict in Indonesia (alleged)
Pasukan Manguni Makasiouw and Makatana Minahasa assaulted a participant in a peaceful demonstration for Palestine.
Date25 November 2023
Location
Bitung City, Indonesia
Caused byProvocative actions and attacks by Pasukan Manguni Makasiouw on pro-Palestinian crowd[1]
MethodsAttack
Resulted inPeace agreement between the two parties[2]
Parties
Pro-Palestinian crowd
Muslim Solidarity Front[3]
Islamic Brotherhood Front[4]
Laskar Muslim Bitung[5]
API Islam[6]
Pro-Israel crowd
Pasukan Manguni Makasiouw[7]
Makatana Minahasa[3]
Lead figures

Disorganized leadership

Michael Rempowatu

Casualties and losses
1 in critical condition[1]
1 dead[8]

On 25 November 2023 (UTC+8), in East Bitung Sub-district, Maesa District, Bitung City a clash incident occurred involving two camps of community organizations. It is suspected that this clash was caused by an attack carried out by members of Pasukan Manguni Makasiouw and Makatana Minahasa against pro-Palestinian crowd who were carrying out peaceful demonstrations for Palestine in Bitung City.[9][3]

Background

Before the clash occurred, there is a notification letter from Pasukan Manguni Makasiouw to Bitung City Resort Police signed by Michael Rempowatu as chairman. In the notification letter, three demands were attached. One of them is that the police should not issue permits for the Palestine Solidarity Action in Bitung City on the grounds that it could cause security disturbances.[7] Apart from that, a threatening comment on Facebook is also suspected to be the cause of this clash. The account owner named Marco Karundeng, who is thought to be a member of Pasukan Manguni Makasiouw, posted a comment in Manado language which threatens to kill anyone who wears Muslim clothing such as kopiah and hijab.[10]

This clash was also suspected of being a provocative action carried out by Pasukan Manguni Makasiouw and pro-Israel crowd who carried Israeli flags during the peaceful demonstration. Until finally there was a clash in the afternoon between the pro-Palestinian crowd against Pasukan Manguni Makasiouw and the pro-Israel crowd in Bitung City.[11]

Chronologies

The clashes began during a peaceful demonstration for Palestine initiated by the Muslim Solidarity Front at around 13.00 UTC+8, called for Palestinian independence and protested against Israel over the mass killings in the Gaza Strip.[3] Then a group of people dressed in traditional clothes and armed with sharp weapons in the form of swords attacked the peaceful protesters.[1]

The peaceful demonstration then turned unconducive. There was a victim from the pro-Palestinian crowd, namely Anto, who suffered abuse and was seriously and critically injured by Pasukan Manguni Makasiouw. One ambulance car was also damaged. The windows were smashed and the vehicle was overturned. Then the flag of Tawheed and flag of Palestine were also torn and burned by the attackers.[1]

In response to the attack carried out by Pasukan Manguni Makasiouw in the afternoon, clashes occurred again at night on the streets of Bitung City center, a crowd consisting of the Laskar Muslim Bitung and other Islamic organizations gathered and conducted a sweep of the Pasukan Manguni Makasiouw posts.[5] In this retaliatory action, 1 person from the Pasukan Manguni Makasiouw was killed by an arrow in the head. The victim is known as Elvis Wagey, 64 years old, a Minahasa traditional elder (tonaas) who comes from Watulambot Sub-district, West Tondano District, Minahasa Regency.[8]

Then in the evening after the situation had returned to being conducive, representatives of the two mass groups stated that a peace agreement had been made in the Duasudara Stadium area. This agreement was initiated by the Bitung City Religious Harmony Forum and the Bitung City Inter-Religious Cooperation Agency. Before signing the peace agreement, the two representatives of these mass groups held a dialogue moderated by the Mayor of Bitung, Maurits Mantiri and the Bitung City Regional Leadership Coordination Forum as well as local religious leaders.[2]

Responses

Deputy Chairman of the Advisory Council of Indonesian Ulema Council, K.H. Muhyiddin Junaidi urge the police officials to investigate and take firm action against the perpetrators of violence in Bitung City, North Sulawesi. According to him, the perpetrators of the attacks who committed violence in Bitung must not be allowed to pass. Muhyiddin said, "The allowing of anti-Pancasila behavior by Zionist agents in Indonesian territory violates the national constitution which is very dangerous".[9]

Mayor of Bitung City, Maurits Mantiri appealed to the residents of Bitung City to maintain conduciveness together and not be provoked by individuals who want division in Bitung City.[12]

The Lampung Ulama and Activist Defense Team strongly condemns the attack carried out by a group of people acting in the name of Pasukan Manguni Makasiouw against the peaceful protesters for Palestine. According to the chairman of TPUA Lampung, Gunawan Pharrikesit, "This cannot be allowed in a democracy. The perpetrators can be included in the security disturbance movement group".[1]

Islamic Brotherhood Front released a statement through its general chairman, Muhammad Al-Atthas. In this position statement, FPI fully supports the peaceful demonstration for Palestine held in Bitung City because it is in line with Indonesia's foreign policy as well as legal and constitutional. FPI condemned the actions of the Pasukan Manguni Makasiouw in flying the Israeli flag because it was judged as a form of betrayal of the constitutional mandate and violates Minister of Foreign Affairs Regulation no. 3 of 2019 which prohibits the flying of the Israeli Zionist flag. FPI also called for jihad against supporters of Zionism because they considered it to be contrary to Pancasila and had betrayed the mandate of Constitution of Indonesia.[4]

As a result of the clashes that occurred in Bitung City, API Islam South Sulawesi threatened to disband the post and secretariat of the Pasukan Manguni Makasiouw in Makassar City.[6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "TPUA Lampung Kecam Keras Penyerangan Massa Bela Palestina di Bitung Sulut". rmollampung.id. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Dua Kelompok yang Bentrok di Kota Bitung Tanda Tangani Kesepakatan Damai Disaksikan FKUB dan BKSUA". www.suara.com (in Indonesian). 25 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Kronologi Bentrokan di Bitung Antara Ormas dan Massa Pro Palestina". kabar24.bisnis.com. 26 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Tanggapi Serangan Laskar Manguni Di Bitung, FPI Siap Jihad Terhadap Pendukung Zionisme!". depokraya.pikiran-rakyat.com. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Peserta Aksi Bela Palestina di Bitung Diserang dan Dianiaya Pendukung Israel". forumkeadilansumut.com. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Pasca Serangan Ormas Manguni Ke Massa Aksi Damai Bela Palestina, Masyarakat Menyisir Posko-posko Manguni". depokraya.pikiran-rakyat.com. 26 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Bentrokan Ormas di Bitung Pecah Diduga saat Aksi Bela Palestina". www.tajukflores.com. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Tertua Adat Minahasa Elvis Wagey Tewas dalam Bentrok Aksi Pelestina di Manado". www.harianmassa.id. 26 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Wakil Wantim MUI: Usut Aktor Intelektual dan Tangkap Pelaku Kekerasan Pendukung Israel di Bitung". suaraislam.id. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  10. ↑ "Usai Bentrok di Kota Bitung, Marco Karundeng dari Ormas Laskar Manguni Dicari, Disebut jadi Provokator". www.pojoksatu.id. 26 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  11. ↑ "Viral Video Ribut-ribut Dua Massa di Bitung, Ini Kata Kapolda Sulut". www.detik.com. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  12. ↑ "Bentrokan Antarkelompok Warga Pecah di Pusat Kota Bitung, Wali Kota Pastikan Suasana Sudah Kondusif". www.suara.com. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.


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