Police records 69 riots between May and August<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The police recorded 69 cases of unrest across
\nthe country between May and August during which officers arrested
\n4,828 people, National Police chief Lt. Gen. Roesmanhadi said on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a media conference after a meeting with six
\nprovincial police chiefs, the three-star general did not disclose
\nthe number of fatalities or estimated the amount of material
\nlosses caused by the riots, which have further battered the
\ncountry's ailing economy.<\/p>\n
According to Roesmanhadi, 23 of the recorded riots were
\ntriggered by ethnic issues, 16 by political factors, 15 by
\neconomic reasons, six by (improper) law enforcement and the
\nremaining nine had yet to be identified.<\/p>\n
\"We're still probing the remaining cases in the hope to
\nfurther develop our strategy to prevent and anticipate any
\npossible renewed nationwide unrest,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The general hinted that major riots occurred in several cities
\nin North Sumatra, Central Java, East Java, East Kalimantan and
\nSouth Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
Out of the 4,828 people nabbed during the disturbances, 867
\nhad been named as suspects with 267 of these having been put on
\ntrial, he explained.<\/p>\n
The world witnessed one of the major riots that hit the
\ncountry in mid-May when the capital Jakarta turned into a quasi-
\nwar zone during three days of continuous unrest, looting and
\nburning.<\/p>\n
The authorities later announced that 1,190 people were trapped
\nand burned to death, 27 killed by gunshots and dozens of others
\ninjured. Hundreds of buildings were set ablaze and emptied by
\nlooters, causing billions of rupiah in losses.<\/p>\n
Roesmanhadi vowed to take stern action against those who
\nwanted to benefit from the uncertain circumstances due to the
\nongoing political and economic turmoil.<\/p>\n
\"We're serious about handling riots,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to the general, the current situation had
\nsimilarities with the conditions in the wake of the failed
\ncommunist coup attempt in September 1965.<\/p>\n
\"In 1965, people were also facing economic problems over which
\nthey were easily provoked as well as uncertain political and
\nsocial circumstances,\" Roesmanhadi said.<\/p>\n
\"It's just like what we're experiencing nowadays.\"<\/p>\n
\"That's why pak Wiranto warned us about the threat of latent
\ncommunism which is not groundless at all,\" Roesmanhadi said,
\nreferring to Minister of Defense and Security\/Armed Forces
\nCommander Gen. Wiranto who said on Thursday that communists might
\nhave been behind the seemingly endless nationwide protests of the
\npast few weeks.<\/p>\n
Only last week, a fresh riot erupted in Bagansiapi-api in Riau
\nprovince following rumors that Chinese-Indonesians had killed a
\nnative Indonesian. Some 400 buildings were burned but no
\nfatalities reported.<\/p>\n
A number of similar incidents with different backgrounds also
\noccurred just this month in Kebumen, Central Java, and the North
\nSumatra capital of Medan.<\/p>\n
During the media conference Roesmanhadi also disclosed that
\nthe police had seized some four million metric tons of rice in
\nfive provinces during their operations to uncover those
\nresponsible for the scarcity of rice in the country.<\/p>\n
Half of the amount was confiscated in Jakarta, he said.<\/p>\n
Roesmanhadi did not disclose the results of his meeting with
\nthe police chiefs of West Java, Central Java, East Java, Bali,
\nNorth Sumatra and Riau.<\/p>\n
\"It was just a routine weekly meeting,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He, however, warned people over the escalating vehicle thefts
\nand violent robberies that had occurred in many parts of the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
Police, he said, arrested at least 733 suspects in crimes in
\nthe above two categories in 12 provinces in the May-to-August
\nperiod.<\/p>\n
Roesmanhadi asked for public participation to create security
\nand tranquility and to help the police do its job. (emf)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-records-69-riots-between-may-and-august-1447893297",
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