Kendari hit by third day of rioting<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Rioting erupted again yesterday in the Southeast
\nSulawesi capital Kendari, following similar unrest in the city
\nTuesday and Wednesday. Hundreds of people, enraged by soaring
\nprices, went on the rampage damaging and looting dozens of
\nstores.<\/p>\n
High school and university students, workers and local
\nresidents took part in the frenzy in shopping centers from around
\n10 a.m. to 1 p.m. forcing troops to fire repeated warning shots.
\nScores of protesters were later arrested.<\/p>\n
At around 4 p.m. security personnel were deployed to areas
\nwhere protesters were gathered and dispersed them. At about the
\nsame time, three people representing residents met with Brig.
\nGen. R. Ampi Tanujiwa, the local Army commander, explaining the
\npeople's frustration because prices of some commodities increased
\nalmost hourly.<\/p>\n
"We have tried to visit local legislators, but they refused to
\nmeet us," one said.<\/p>\n
Ampi said the military in the region was on full alert and
\nwould, if necessary, shoot rioters on the spot.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday hundreds of public transportation drivers in the
\nNorth Sumatran town of Rantau Prapat, frustrated over soaring
\nprices of motor spare parts, ran amok, damaging dozens of stores
\nand houses.<\/p>\n
The situation was back to normal yesterday with numerous
\nsecurity personnel patrolling the town, according to North
\nSumatra military spokesman Lt. Col. Agus Ramadhan.<\/p>\n
"The situation is under control now," he said, without further
\nelaboration on the violence in the Labuhan Ratu regency town 400
\nkilometers southeast of Medan.<\/p>\n
North Sumatra police spokesman Lt. Col. Amrin Karim, when
\ncontacted in Medan yesterday, refused to disclose how many stores
\nand houses had been damaged. Antara said no one was arrested and
\nno casualties were reported either.<\/p>\n
The latest unrest comes on top of similar violence in more
\nthan 20 towns which has rocked the country since late January
\namid increasing tension over soaring prices, shortages of basic
\ngoods and mass unemployment.<\/p>\n
Separately, five thousand families in three resettlement units
\nin East Kalimantan are facing food shortages, Antara reported
\nfrom the provincial capital Samarinda yesterday.<\/p>\n
Vice Governor Suwarna A.F. confirmed the famine threatening
\nsettlers in Rantau Pulung, Muara Ancalong and Resak, in Kutai
\nregency, and said the provincial administration had sent 80 tons
\nof rice to the affected areas. Each family should receive five
\nkilograms of rice today and tomorrow.<\/p>\n
The second phase of assistance would take place soon, and some
\n810 tons of rice would be distributed through May, he said.<\/p>\n
Antara also reported from East Nusa Tenggara's capital Kupang
\nyesterday that supplies of basic commodities there would not last
\nbeyond the end of this month.<\/p>\n
Kupang regent Paul Lawa Rihi said many traders were reluctant
\nto send in supplies from Jakarta or Surabaya for fear they would
\nhave to pay more and, in turn, sell at an even higher price.<\/p>\n
"The traders are afraid the local people will accuse them of
\nprofiteering," he said. "They have asked that the provincial
\nadministration and the security authorities guarantee their
\nsafety (from possible reprisals over high prices)."<\/p>\n
He cited a brand of rice that is sold in Jakarta for Rp 80,000
\n(US$8) per sack but still circulates in Kupang for Rp 45,000 per
\nsack. "The traders would not be able to do this (depress the
\nprices) for long," he said.<\/p>\n
Reports about food scarcities continue to pour in, and
\ncommunity members are applying themselves to survive the
\ndifficulties in different ways.<\/p>\n
In Surabaya, 600 of the 3,012 Islamic boarding schools across
\nEast Java have agreed to distribute basic commodities in order to
\nensure supplies reach even the remotest areas.<\/p>\n
The agreement was reached between the Association of East Java
\nBoarding Schools and the provincial administration in a meeting
\nattended by Governor Basofi Soedirman and 300 Moslem leaders
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
The secretary of the association, Hemawan Malik, said the move
\nwas aimed at circumventing the "distorted market" -- caused by
\nhoarders and speculators, among others -- which had disrupted
\ndistribution of basic commodities.<\/p>\n
"This way, prices can be kept at affordable rates," he said.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that food scarcities and soaring prices could
\neasily trigger public unrest.<\/p>\n
It was reported from Ujungpandang, the capital of South
\nSulawesi, that the Wirabuana Regional Military Commander, Maj.
\nGen. Agum Gumelar, and police chief, Brig. Gen. Ali Hanafiah, had
\nthreatened to punish traders who hoarded commodities in order to
\nrake in profit.<\/p>\n
"We will not hesitate to take legal action against the
\nspeculators," Agum said after a meeting to discuss the
\navailability of basic commodities in the region.<\/p>\n
Chinese<\/p>\n
The rioting very often targeted Indonesians of Chinese descent
\nbecause they are widely perceived as controlling the country's
\neconomy.<\/p>\n
In Semarang, the capital of Central Java, dozens of
\nbusinessmen of Chinese descent donated yesterday Rp 3 billion and
\nthree kilograms of gold, to the government's effort to revive the
\nailing economy.<\/p>\n
Three of the businessmen handed over the donation to Governor
\nSoewardi. The money and gold is to be kept in a local bank.<\/p>\n
One of the businessmen, Sindu Darmali, told reporters that he
\nand his colleagues had enjoyed success here and were now moved to
\nhelp alleviate the suffering of their fellow countrymen.<\/p>\n
Dozens of Indonesian businessmen of Chinese descent in
\nUjungpandang, South Sulawesi, handed over to Vice Governor
\nDarmadi C.H. a donation of 5.58 kilogram of gold and Rp 17.8
\nmillion in cash for the same purpose. The group was represented
\nby Anton Obey.<\/p>\n
Since the crisis began the community in South Sulawesi has
\ncollected 23.9 kilograms of gold and Rp 64.9 million to help the
\ngovernment campaign to ease the suffering of the many people
\naffected by the economic crisis.<\/p>\n
In Medan, North Sumatra, Bukit Barisan Regional Military
\nCommander Maj. Gen. Tengku Rizal Nurdin and his wife initiated a
\ndrive yesterday to collect gold and money from the community.<\/p>\n
By the end of the day it had already raised Rp 182.5 million,
\n6.35 kilograms of gold, and US$310. (nur\/30\/har\/swe\/aan\/swa)<\/p>",
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