Regarding Permits, Police Reveal Other Facts In Clashes In Bitung

Bitung Police Chief AKBP Tommy Souissa (ANTAR)

After the clashes of religious organizations and traditional organizations in Bitung City, the police revealed several facts, including the issue of permits to take action. Bitung Police Chief AKBP Tommy Souissa said that at first the permit to carry out the activities was submitted by customary organizations.

"One week before the incident, we have entered the permit to take action from the traditional mass organization to the Bitung Police, which previously went through a process at the Kesbangpol Agency in Bitung City," explained Tommy, Sunday, November 26.

After that, three days before the clashes, another request for permission to take action from religious organizations was entered.

"After reviewing, taking into account the security situation, we will submit it in writing not to give permission," said Tommy.

However, from the religious organization again wrote to the police on Friday, November 24 night.

"After that I contacted the Head of Ops, Kasat intel, the Head of Propam of the Bitung Police to make efforts to block the mass organization for security reasons. We officers are of course upright, and neutral," he explained.

Related to this, the Manguni Makasiow traditional mass organization gave a written letter regarding the permit for activities with its points to protest the activities of religious organizations.

"From these considerations, we gave letters to the two mass organizations for security reasons, we did not allow them to carry out activities," he explained.

However, the two mass organizations continued to carry out actions in the field, so his party contacted the North Sulawesi regional police chief asking for BKO from Brimob members and asked for assistance from the North Minahasa Police as many as 100 personnel.

"This is a criminal act and an arrest has been made," he said.

The clashes that occurred on Saturday, November 25 resulted in two injuries and 1 person died. From this incident, the North Sulawesi Police arrested 7 perpetrators and hundreds of evidence in the incident.

The seven perpetrators each had the initials RP, HP, GK, FL, BI, MP, and RA.

In addition, the police also confiscated dozens of evidences in the form of wayer arrows, sharp weapons of badik type and sword, flags of mass organizations and firecrackers.