Six arrested over rehab center fire<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Police have arrested six suspects, including a
\nuniversity student, in connection with the arson attack on a
\nChristian-owned complex housing a school of theology and drug
\nrehabilitation and psychiatric centers in Cipayung, East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Police continued to guard the identities of the suspects and
\nmotives in Wednesday night's attack on the 2.7-hectare site owned
\nby the Doulos Foundation. Another one of the people arrested was
\na company employee.<\/p>\n
One student died and more than a dozen people were injured.<\/p>\n
Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman repeatedly
\ndenied the mob attack was connected to religion.<\/p>\n
\"Neither the suspects arrested nor the arson are connected to
\nreligion,\" said the two-star general, who rushed to the site a
\nfew hours after the incident occurred on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged there were signs the attack, which lasted from
\n8:30 p.m. until 1:30 a.m., was carefully planned.<\/p>\n
\"The arson was well-planned. I cannot give out more
\ninformation until the case is fully investigated,\" Noegroho said.<\/p>\n
The fatality was identified as 31-year-old Sariman, a theology
\nstudent from Bantul, Yogyakarta. His body was covered in gash
\nwounds.<\/p>\n
At least 17 other stabbing victims were treated at the
\nIndonesian Christian University (UKI) Hospital, also in East
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Noegroho said 236 residents of dormitories in the Doulos
\ncomplex were evacuated and were sheltered at Jakarta Police
\nHeadquarters.<\/p>\n
A staff member from the complex, Winnie Rorimpande, told The
\nJakarta Post that 50 female students of the Doulos School of
\nTheology were offered accommodation at the Ciganjur Muslim
\nboardinghouse in South Jakarta, which was overseen by President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
She said there remained about 350 students, drug and mental
\npatients from the complex who needed a place to stay.<\/p>\n
\"If we fail to find it, we will probably have to stay here
\nnear the House of Representatives,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Winnie, along with some 400 Doulos residents and 300
\nsupporters, visited the House on Thursday morning to appeal to
\nlegislators and ministers to take immediate action.<\/p>\n
An officer said he believed local residents were not involved
\nin the arson attack on the complex, which is located on Jl. Tugu.<\/p>\n
It is reached by a narrow lane which can only allow one car to
\npass at a time.<\/p>\n
There were questions about the failure of the security
\nauthorities to stop the mob as the compound is located about one
\nkilometer from the Indonesian Military (TNI) Headquarters.<\/p>\n
Fire engines were unable to enter the lane and tried to fight
\nthe fire with extended hoses.<\/p>\n
The story<\/p>\n
Eyewitnesses said about 300 people set the fire, which burned
\nall buildings in the compound, five of the foundation's cars and
\nfive motorcycles.<\/p>\n
A security guard at the complex, Rony, said he was among 26
\nsecurity guards on duty when the attack occurred. He said they
\nwere powerless to stop the attack.<\/p>\n
\"At first, about 40 people stormed into the site from the main
\nentrance gate and set alight the work vehicles. They were joined
\nby hundreds later, some of them wearing sarongs and kopiah
\n(traditional hats). Some wore shorts only.<\/p>\n
\"They were just average people,\" Rony told the Post at the
\nsite.<\/p>\n
\"They broke through the other gates of the complex and started
\nburning. All 2.7 hectares were burned. The buildings alone cost
\nRp 3 billion (US$428,570).\"<\/p>\n
Smoke could still be seen rising from the site, which was
\nstrewn with broken glass and charred debris, on Thursday
\nafternoon.<\/p>\n
The scene has been secured by at least 40 officers form the
\nPolice Mobile Brigade (Brimob) unit since Thursday afternoon.<\/p>\n
A priest at the complex, Sulaiman, said the theology students
\nwere studying for their mid-semester exams when the mob arrived
\nand began the rampage.<\/p>\n
\"Why did this have to happen?\" he asked grimly.<\/p>\n
Theology student Neneng Balukh said the group brought kerosene
\nin jerry cans, bottles and buckets.<\/p>\n
\"They doused buildings and cars with kerosene before setting
\nthem on fire,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Head of human resources development at the Doulos Foundation,
\nAndrew Latuhihin, said he considered it a \"religious attack\".<\/p>\n
\"People have accused us several times of trying to convert
\nothers to Christianity. They have no proof. What they have done
\nis shameful,\" Andrew said.<\/p>\n
\"This foundation was established in 1975. Since then, we have
\nnever experienced something like this.\"<\/p>\n
An executive of the Defenders of Islam Front (FPI), Husein,
\ndenied allegation that FPI personnel involved in the incident and
\nspeculated the attack may have been engineered to discredit his
\norganization.<\/p>\n
\"I was there last night, and I was told that it was the local
\nresidents who committed the action,\" he said by phone.<\/p>\n
\"Insya Allah (God willing), FPI members would not commit such
\nburning or other destructive actions during the Ramadhan fasting
\nmonth,\" Husein said.<\/p>\n
\"Maybe it's merely a trick to topple us.\" (ylt\/01\/05)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/six-arrested-over-rehab-center-fire-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }