Recent riots in E. Java blamed on communists<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Government officials are blaming the recent
\nriots in East Java on communist and left-wing activists.<\/p>\n
East Java Governor Basofi Soedirman told a meeting with local
\nulemas in Surabaya yesterday that the communist role in the
\nseries of riots in the province was obvious because rioters had
\nburned a temple, a church, mosques and a copy of the holy Koran.<\/p>\n
\"To an elderly person like me, the recent rioting greatly
\nresembled that attempted by the Indonesian Communist Party
\n(PKI),\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"I don't believe that the outbreaks of violence in Bangkalan
\nand Pasuruan were instigated by Islamic devotees, but by a
\nmovement of left-wing extremists linked with the PKI,\" Basofi was
\nquoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
Basofi displayed pieces of a burned Koran and a video clip
\nshowing the remnants of buildings gutted by fire, including four
\nmosques in Sampang on Madura Island.<\/p>\n
The province's military commander Maj. Gen. Imam Utomo, police
\nchief Sumarsono, chief of the provincial prosecutors' office M.A.
\nRachman, legislative council chairman Trimarjono, Nahdlatul Ulama
\n(NU) leader Imron Hamzah and Muhammadiyah chairman Abdurrahim
\nNoer also attended the meeting.<\/p>\n
Indonesia banned the PKI after a failed coup on Sept. 30,
\n1965, which was blamed on communists.<\/p>\n
People rampaged in the predominantly Moslem towns of Jember,
\nBangkalan and Pasuruan from Friday until Sunday. Security forces
\nhave said that at least 20 people were injured in the unrest.<\/p>\n
The riots extended a list of unrests dating back to sectarian
\nriots in Situbondo, which killed five people in September last
\nyear.<\/p>\n
Basofi said rioters had used various occasions to trigger the
\nunrest, from soccer matches to the election campaign.<\/p>\n
\"They will probably try again over the general session of the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly in March next year,\" Basofi said.<\/p>\n
In Bandung, West Java, Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi
\nTaher said that communists could have caused the riots to
\ndisgrace Moslems, who make up 90 percent of the country's
\npopulation of 200 million.<\/p>\n
\"PKI as a party ended 30 years ago, but its cadres, whose
\nnumber then reached 10 million, might not have completely
\nvanished. Many of the millions of cadres have embraced religions,
\nbut those who want to make another attempt are not few in
\nnumber,\" Tarmizi told a meeting with about one hundred West Java
\nulemas.<\/p>\n
Tarmizi visited Bandung as part of a post-election tour. He is
\nscheduled to visit Semarang, Central Java, and Surabaya today. He
\nsaid his trip aimed to help Moslems cool down after a full month
\nof acrimonious election proceedings.<\/p>\n
\"A third party's role in the riots is obvious. They are eager
\nto disrepute Moslems in Indonesia who are well-known for their
\ntolerance and spirit of harmony,\" said Tarmizi.<\/p>\n
Shoot<\/p>\n
East Java military commander Maj. Gen. Imam Utomo confirmed in
\nyesterday's meeting that he had issued a shoot-on-sight order in
\ncase of more riots.<\/p>\n
\"They (the riots) have gone beyond the limit of religious
\npeople's tolerance. We are declaring war against the rioters who
\nhave wounded security officers, civilians, journalists and
\nvandalized state buildings,\" Imam said.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, the United Development Party (PPP) chairman Ismail
\nHasan Metareum dismissed allegations that his supporters were
\ninvolved in the latest riots.<\/p>\n
\"People there rampaged for various reasons, but none of them
\nhad anything to do with our disappointment with the election
\nresults,\" Ismail said yesterday.<\/p>\n
It is alleged that angry PPP supporters ran amok in Bangkalan
\non Madura island Saturday night during a thanksgiving party to
\ncelebrate the town's success in winning the prestigious Adipura
\naward for cleanliness.<\/p>\n
PPP Bangkalan chief Fuad Amin, a son of the late PPP leader
\nand legislator Amin Imron, said that Moslems were angered by the
\nnoise from the celebration which took place near the town's grand
\nmosque.<\/p>\n
PPP supporters rampaged earlier in four other towns on Madura
\nisland in protest of alleged vote-rigging in the May 29 election.
\nThe chaos forced an unprecedented revote in 65 polling stations
\nin Sampang.<\/p>\n
Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Robik Mukav said the situation in
\nBangkalan had returned to normal Sunday.<\/p>\n
\"People have been seen jogging and doing their routine
\nactivities since Sunday morning,\" he said at the Army
\nheadquarters yesterday.<\/p>\n
Calling the riot small, Robik told people not to worry about
\nfurther rioting. (amd\/imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/recent-riots-in-e-java-blamed-on-communists-1447893297",
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