More campaign violence hits Java<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Campaign violence continued across Java
\nyesterday with sporadic clashes between supporters of the
\ndominant Golkar and their United Development Party (PPP) rivals.<\/p>\n
Golkar supporter Kusbiantoro Cahyo was stabbed in the stomach
\nwhen PPP supporters raided a Golkar convoy in Ngampilan
\nsubdistrict, a renowned PPP stronghold, here. He was taken, while
\nunconscious, to Sardjito General Hospital.<\/p>\n
Golkar supporters replied by attacking students at
\nYogyakarta's Islamic University on Jl. Tamansiswa, smashing
\nwindows of two parked cars and causing dozens of students to
\npanic. One Golkar supporter wielded a Samurai sword.<\/p>\n
The supporters were returning from a Golkar rally at Kridosono
\nStadium which had featured Coordinating Minister for Political
\nAffairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman and former inspector
\ngeneral of development Kardono.<\/p>\n
Witnesses said the attack had lasted five minutes while
\nsecurity personnel turned a blind eye.<\/p>\n
The students then protested, but were dispersed by police and
\nsoldiers.<\/p>\n
Other clashes occurred near Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic
\nInstitute on Jl. Kolombo, in Jl. Bhayangkara and in the western
\npart of the sultanate complex. A Golkar supporter, Antonius Peda,
\nfell off his motorcycle.<\/p>\n
Golkar supporters had ransacked two local PPP offices on April
\n30.<\/p>\n
In Temanggung, Central Java, PPP branch chief P.M. Imron was
\nserious injured when he was stabbed and beaten by masked men
\noutside the regency administration office just before midnight on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
The stabbing came hours after local PPP activists' 10-
\nkilometer march \"mourning the death of democracy\" ended up in an
\nattack on public property. Dozens of government buildings, four
\nchurches and several vehicles were pelted with stones during the
\nrampage.<\/p>\n
Imron is in intensive care at the Temanggung general hospital.
\nHe has not regained consciousness.<\/p>\n
Imron had just attended a meeting with his Golkar and PDI
\ncounterparts, the Temangyung regent, local election supervision
\ncommittee members, the police chief and the district military
\ncommander.<\/p>\n
\"It was a murder attempt by professionals,\" Imron's deputy
\nMuhammad Irfan said, adding that Imron's wife had received an
\nanonymous death threat by telephone the night before the assault.<\/p>\n
Kedu police chief Col. A.E. Rustandi said the assault was
\n\"purely criminal\" and not political. \"Never think that the
\nincident had something to do with the long march,\" he said after
\nvisiting Imron, adding that police were still looking for the
\nattackers.<\/p>\n
Security authorities have restored order in the tobacco-
\nproducing town, but only a few shopkeepers have dared to reopen.<\/p>\n
Fighting also marred Golkar rallies in Pasuruan, East Java, in
\nwhich the party's deputy chairwoman Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana
\naddressed around 30,000 people.<\/p>\n
A fight broke out in Rejoso subdistrict when a Golkar convoy
\npassed an Islamic boarding school while returning from the rally.
\nSeveral students hurled stones at the motorcade, and the Golkar
\nsupporters retaliated.<\/p>\n
The angry supporters got out of their trucks with machetes,
\nswords and knives.<\/p>\n
Another brawl erupted in Jatirejo subdistrict, injuring at
\nleast two people.<\/p>\n
Golkar convoys caused traffic congestion between Pasuruan and
\nneighboring Probolinggo. They forced Hardiyanti and her entourage
\nto wait 30 minutes before police cleared their way to Surabaya.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, at least two workers at the 32-story athlete hotel
\nconstruction project and five Golkar supporters were injured in a
\nstone-throwing battle on Jl. Asia Afrika, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Police said that at least 10 cars, including a BMW, an Isuzu
\npick-up, a Toyota Kijang, a Suzuki Jimny jeep, and a garbage
\ntruck, were damaged in the incident which cut off the street for
\nalmost five hours.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of workers pelted the Golkar motorcade with stones
\nafter one of their colleagues was attacked by the supporters for
\nanswering their two-finger sign with one-finger sign, the symbol
\nof PPP.<\/p>\n
The workers lay down their tools and started to yell. They
\ndisplayed placards made of cement sacks in support of the
\nalliance between the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) ousted
\nleader Megawati Soekarnoputri and the PPP.<\/p>\n
One of the placards read \"Pray for Ibu Mega (Megawati).\"<\/p>\n
Hundreds of riot police, soldiers and marines were called in
\nto curb the violence. They did not storm the construction site,
\nleaving project officials to persuade their staff to return to
\nwork.<\/p>\n
A similar clash between Golkar supporters and students of
\nBorobudur University occurred in Kali Malang, East Jakarta. Two
\nstudents, Wito and Erwin, were admitted to the nearby Harum
\nHospital where they were stitched up. (38\/23\/wah\/jun\/cst\/amd)<\/p>\n
Editorial -- Page 4<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/more-campaign-violence-hits-java-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }