Soesilo Soedarman says situation under control<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government has complete control of security
\ndespite the recent spate of mob violence, Coordinating Minister
\nfor Security and Political Affairs said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Soesilo made the claim after a routine meeting with officials
\nunder his coordination less than a week after a major riot
\nclaimed at least 123 lives and left extensive damage in
\nBanjarmasin, South Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
\"It's true that violence has broken out in several areas but
\nremember that Indonesia is a vast country, which is generally
\nsafe,\" Soesilo told journalists.<\/p>\n
The government, he said, was deeply concerned about the riots'
\nfatalities and destruction.<\/p>\n
Most riots were triggered by clashes between Golkar and United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP) supporters during their street rallies.<\/p>\n
Soesilo said he was aware that many people would laugh to hear
\nhim say the situation was \"safe and under control\" because he
\nrepeated it every time he came out of the conference room.<\/p>\n
\"People will doubt my statement because they know unrest has
\nhappened. My children often tease me because I use the phrase
\ntime and again,\" he said with a grin.<\/p>\n
Soesilo said that some people wanted to hear that Indonesia
\nwas politically unstable and the situation was out of control.<\/p>\n
\"If there is chaos, who wants to invest in Indonesia? There
\nare people who want to see this situation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Soesilo called on the public to be wary of people who intended
\nto exploit race, religion and other sensitive issues to divide
\nthe nation.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in Surabaya, three unidentified people fire-bombed
\nan unguarded polling station in the Petemon western suburb.<\/p>\n
Eyewitnesses said the three people on two motorbikes threw a
\nmolotov cocktail at the polling station on a 200-square-meter
\nvacant lot at about 10 a.m.<\/p>\n
The lot is in a crowded residential area. Residents put out
\nthe fire before it got to nearby houses. The three people fled.<\/p>\n
Residents said the attack was \"daring\" because it had occurred
\nwhen people were already out and about in the residential area,
\nwhere the largest alley was only two meters wide.<\/p>\n
Military and police officers were tight lipped about the
\nincident. Armed Forces personnel quickly cordoned off the area.<\/p>\n
East Java military chief Maj. Gen. Imam Utomo said that 9,000
\nof the 53,000 polling booths across the province were
\n\"vulnerable\".<\/p>\n
The vulnerable booths, he said, were mostly in former
\nstrongholds of the Indonesian Communist Party, which was outlawed
\nfor its involvement in the 1965 coup attempt.<\/p>\n
He said the military was making an all-out effort to guarantee
\nsafety during the election.<\/p>\n
Rumors of imminent riots persisted throughout yesterday in
\nSurabaya, Indonesia's second largest city. Riot police were on
\nfull alert in Tunjungan Plaza, Pasar Turi, Surabaya Plaza and
\nother business districts.<\/p>\n
Armored vehicles were on some main streets. Many shops were
\nclosed as early as 1 p.m.<\/p>\n
At the Teachers' Training and Education Institute's Surabaya
\ncampus, police dispersed about 100 students demonstrating their
\nplan to boycott today's election.<\/p>\n
The members of the Golput Students Movement displayed banners
\ncriticizing the election and the government.<\/p>\n
A truckload of police entered the campus and dispersed the
\ncrowd. There were no immediate reports of arrests although
\npolitical activities have been banned for a week before election
\nday. Similar demonstration was held in Yogyakarta. (pan\/nur\/23)<\/p>",
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