Habibie vows an end to Java killing spree<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie vowed on Friday to bring
\nan immediate end to the mysterious killing spree which has
\ngripped Java over the past few months and claimed the lives of
\nmore than 150 people.<\/p>\n
\"He (Habibie) will devote his best efforts to settling the
\nmatter,\" Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI)
\nQuraish Shihab quoted the President as saying.<\/p>\n
Shihab spoke to journalists after meeting with the President
\nat Merdeka Palace along with six others MUI executives -- Ilyas
\nRuchiyat, Ali Yafie, Din Syamsuddin, Zakiyah Dradjat, Ismail
\nHasan and H. Suresh.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, three more suspected ninja killers were killed by a
\nmob in Pemalang regency, Central Java, in the early hours of
\nFriday morning.<\/p>\n
Pemalang police chief Lt. Col. Ismarno confirmed the killings.
\nHe said one more suspect escaped from the mob and another was
\nrushed to a nearby hospital with serious injuries.<\/p>\n
The incident occurred on Jl. Raya Mega. The victims, who were
\ntraveling in a minivan, were stopped by local night watchmen then
\nlynched for failing to produce their ID cards, Ismarno said.<\/p>\n
\"They were suspected of being 'ninjas' who have been
\nterrorizing residents lately, but we are not sure and are still
\ninvestigating the incident,\" Ismarno told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Antara provided a different version of the incident, saying
\nthat four people died -- two of whom were beaten to death, and
\ntwo of whom were hanged. The victims were said to reside in
\nJakarta, Bekasi in West Java and the Central Java town of Blora.<\/p>\n
The news agency also said that residents searched the victims'
\nvan, which had a Jakarta license plate. They claimed to have
\nfound a number of machetes, ropes, sacks, red clothing, a piece
\nof paper with mantras written on it and a list of local Moslem
\npreachers.<\/p>\n
The murder spree initially started in the East Java town of
\nBanyuwangi, where those suspected of practicing black magic were
\ntargeted. The killings later spread to surrounding towns in the
\nprovince before spilling over into Central and West Java. The
\nkillers' targets became Moslem preachers, many of whom were
\nmembers of largest Moslem organization, Nahdlatul Ulama.<\/p>\n
Ilyas said the ulemas council had called on Habibie to quickly
\nand comprehensively solve the killings.<\/p>\n
\"If they are not comprehensively solved, there may be more
\nharmful developments or... the limited patience of the people
\nwill (end and) result in something that none of us want to
\nhappen,\" Ruchiyat said.<\/p>\n
However, the group maintained their warning was not an
\nultimatum to the government. The group also urged comprehensive
\nsettlement of all cases involving violence against Moslems.<\/p>\n
Ruchiyat, who is also a Nahdlatul Ulama executive, quoted
\nHabibie as calling on people to have patience because of the
\nlarge numbers of cases to be solved.<\/p>\n
\"Understanding is sought (from the public) so that we can all
\nbe patient while at the same time make an effort (to solve the
\ncases,)\" he was quoted as saying.<\/p>\n
Habibie's comments came a day after Army Chief of Staff Gen.
\nSubagyo Hadisiswoyo made a similar pledge to complete the
\ninvestigation of the killings as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
Subagyo has said the Army's findings will be made public.<\/p>\n
There has been a growing outcry over the police and military's
\nsluggish response to the killings.<\/p>\n
In more recent weeks the violence has turned against suspected
\n\"ninjas\" -- men clad in black with their faces covered in the
\nfashion of Japanese assassins -- who are blamed for most of the
\nkillings.<\/p>\n
Rough justice meted out by neighborhood watches set up in
\nseveral areas of East Java to protect villages from \"ninjas\", has
\nled to the lynching of many people suspected of involvement in
\nthe murders.<\/p>\n
Mobs have attacked, hanged, burned and decapitated people
\nfound without identity documents or roaming the countryside after
\ndark.<\/p>\n
Religious and military leaders have said conflicts within the
\ncountry's political elite may be behind the violence in East Java
\nas they seek to spread unrest ahead of next year's general
\nelection.<\/p>\n
Nahdlatul Ulama said early this week that it would take action
\non its own if the military failed to solve the murders by the end
\nof November.<\/p>\n
East Java Military chief Maj. Gen. Djoko Subroto did not rule
\nout the possibility of political motives behind the killing
\nspree.<\/p>\n
\"It's still unclear... So I can't talk about it now. I could
\nmake mistakes if I do,\" Antara quoted him as saying on Friday.<\/p>\n
In Semarang, the Central Java chapter of Muhammadiyah, the
\ncountry's second largest Moslem organization, issued a statement
\nexpressing its concern over the killings. (43\/45\/har\/aan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/habibie-vows-an-end-to-java-killing-spree-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}