'No provocateurs' in Semarang clash<\/p>\n
SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): Chief of Diponegoro Military
\nCommand, which oversees Central Java, Maj. Gen. Bibit Waluyo
\nruled out on Monday the possibility that people had masterminded
\na clash between supporters of Golkar and the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) in Semarang on
\nSunday.<\/p>\n
Bibit said after installing the new chief of Wirastrama
\nmilitary overseeing Surakarta and its four neighboring regencies,
\nCol. Heri Sudibyo, that he had yet to find evidence that
\nprovocateurs were involved in the Semarang violence, in which two
\npeople were injured and 10 vehicles burned.<\/p>\n
"The incident stemmed from a misunderstanding between the two
\nparties," Bibit said in an attempt to play down the brawl, the
\nlatest of a series of clashes between party supporters that have
\nrocked the province ahead of the June 7 elections.<\/p>\n
The violence erupted when a group of PDI Perjuangan supporters
\ndemanded the release of a friend who was reportedly being held
\ncaptive in a Golkar branch office in the provincial capital on
\nJl. Veteran. The Golkar supporters allegedly took the PDI
\nPerjuangan activist, identified as Joko Maryanto, hostage and
\nstabbed him because of an offensive remark he made.<\/p>\n
Another PDI Perjuangan supporter, Sumaryono, went to the
\nGolkar office to negotiate his release. But he was stabbed before
\nhe could talk to those present.<\/p>\n
The angry PDI Perjuangan crowd attacked the office and set
\nalight seven motorcycles and three cars belonging to Golkar
\nsupporters in retaliation for the stabbing. Security troops were
\ncalled to prevent the clash from escalating and evacuate the
\nGolkar supporters.<\/p>\n
The clash broke out just hours after civilian security
\npersonnel of all parties contesting the polls made a peace
\naccord.<\/p>\n
Bibit suggested on Monday that local leaders of the two
\nparties call a truce as soon as possible to prevent the conflict
\nspilling over into other parts of the province.<\/p>\n
"Never sow hatred and desire of vengeance. I beg for
\ncooperation with all parties because we, the security
\nauthorities, cannot work alone," Bibit said.<\/p>\n
Governor Mardiyanto also called on the conflicting parties to
\nsettle their dispute through deliberation.<\/p>\n
"They are brothers, so a family-like way of settlement is
\npreferable. It would be great if both of them could understand
\nthe importance of unity," Mardiyanto said.<\/p>\n
However, he said it was up now to the conflicting parties
\nwhether to pursue a legal settlement or an out-of-court
\narrangement. "The violence was criminal in nature," he said.<\/p>\n
The provincial police chief, Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi, said the
\npolice were investigating the case.<\/p>\n
Unfair takeover<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung suspected that
\nviolence against his party depicted an unfair attempt at a power
\ntakeover by certain parties.<\/p>\n
He was commenting on a series of hostile receptions at the
\nparty's functions across Java recently. Akbar reportedly last
\nescaped being ambushed by a group of people wearing attributes of
\nPDI Perjuangan and the National Awakening Party (PKB) while on
\nparty business in Jember, East Java, on Sunday. A helicopter was
\nused to remove him from the danger of possible attack.<\/p>\n
"Those who want to take over, please do it in a fair way. If
\nthey use violence before assuming power, I don't know what would
\nhappen if they realized their goal," Akbar said at a party
\nfunction in Penggilingan, East Jakarta, on Monday.<\/p>\n
Akbar, who began his new life as an ordinary man on Monday
\nafter resigning as minister\/state secretary, said Golkar would
\nsupport whoever won the general election, provided victory was
\nachieved in a peaceful and fair manner.<\/p>\n
"We don't want to see people and national unity sacrificed,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Golkar, the ruling party, has become the target of criticism
\nfor upholding the New Order authoritarian regime under Soeharto
\nand allowing corruption, collusion and nepotistic practices to
\nprevail in the country the past three decades.<\/p>\n
Akbar suggested that his party supporters practice restraint,
\nbut hinted that their patience had a limit.<\/p>\n
Attacks on Golkar did not stop on Monday when dozens of
\nunidentified people stole and burned down Golkar flags in West
\nNusa Tenggara. The incident took place on Jl. Bung Hatta and in
\nDasan Agung subdistrict in the provincial capital of Mataram and
\nin Telagawaru village in West Lombok regency.<\/p>\n
Head of Golkar's Mataram branch, Ruslan, said he suspected
\nrival parties were behind the insult.<\/p>\n
In Palu, Central Sulawesi, the provincial election committee
\nfound only 224 out of 717 legislative candidates had submitted
\nthe required documents.<\/p>\n
Deputy chairman of the committee Usman Sondang said most of
\nthe legislative candidates did not attach photographs, original
\ndocuments or include signatures of their chairpersons.<\/p>\n
Usman said the committee dropped the nomination of 45
\nlegislative candidates due to technical problems. Thirteen of
\nthem came from the Indonesian Syarikat Islam Party.
\n(29\/38\/44\/har\/amd)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/no-provocateurs-in-semarang-clash-1447893297",
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