Street rallies death toll rockets<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government's latest call for peaceful and
\norderly campaigning fell on deaf ears here yesterday as six
\npeople died in traffic accidents while United Development Party
\n(PPP) supporters' convoys ruled the streets.<\/p>\n
The fatalities pushed up the campaign death toll to at least
\n55 since April 27. Most died in traffic accidents.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto reprimanded the three parties' leaders
\nTuesday for the increasing violations of election rules. He urged
\nparty leaders to control their supporters. The election rules ban
\nstreet rallies.<\/p>\n
City police said the six that died yesterday were between 12
\nand 19 years old. Four of them were school students.<\/p>\n
Hari Mulyono, an 18-year-old student of Rawasari, Central
\nJakarta, and his schoolmate Ari Suhedi, 17, died after they
\ncrashed their motorcycle on Jl. Pramuka, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Hendrik, 15, of Cibitung, West Java, fell as he tried to get
\noff a truck. He was run over by a passing truck on Jl. Cut
\nMutiah, Bekasi.<\/p>\n
Ilman, 19, of Semanan, West Jakarta, Sutisna, 12, of Sukabumi,
\nWest Java, and an unidentified person were also killed after
\nfalling from vehicles in the street rallies.<\/p>\n
As if to add insult to injury, yesterday's rallies were marred
\nwith sporadic clashes involving PPP supporters and security
\nofficials.<\/p>\n
A score of the Moslem-based party's young supporters hurled
\nstones at security officials who barred them from entering Jl.
\nMatraman Raya in East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
City police spokesman Lt. Col. Edward Aritonang said that a
\nmisunderstanding had caused the party supporters to attack the
\nCiracas police precinct office and two patrol cars. Deputy chief
\nof the police precinct Capt. Titi suffered a head wound.<\/p>\n
PPP supporters fought residents at a military housing complex
\nin Pos Pengumben, West Jakarta. Security officials were called in
\nto break up the fight.<\/p>\n
No arrests were reported following the incidents.<\/p>\n
Violence<\/p>\n
In Temanggung, Central Java, the PPP's supporters attacked
\ngovernment offices, shops, churches and other buildings, cars and
\nburned down Golkar flags during a long march from Parakan
\ndistrict.<\/p>\n
The 10-kilometer procession, which involved some 6,000
\nparticipants in white clothes, was stopped after the PPP local
\nbranch decided to cancel campaigning in protest of "unfair
\ntreatment imposed on them by security authorities". Some branch
\nofficials complained that security authorities had beaten their
\nsupporters in the previous rallies.<\/p>\n
A group of marchers broke away from the band and started
\nthrowing stones at a district office building, a nearby building
\nowned by the local Family Welfare Movement (PKK) organization and
\nanother owned by state telecommunications company PT Telkom.<\/p>\n
The mob shifted its target to the Parakan and Kedu police
\nprecinct buildings, two churches and another government office.<\/p>\n
Witnesses said no troops or police appeared to stop the riots.
\nSome 150 security officials were eventually called only after the
\nangry mob was about to reach Temanggung.<\/p>\n
The PPP crowd were pushed back to Parakan, but they then
\nransacked dozens of shops and a private bank office on their way
\nback home.<\/p>\n
Kedu police chief Col. R.E. Rustandi refused to comment on the
\nrampage, the second there in as many months.<\/p>\n
Temanggung district military commander Lt. Col. Djoko Purwoko
\nregretted the violence. "They (PPP activists) have promised not
\nto destroy anything during their rallies. Why did they do this?"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Deputy secretary of the local PPP branch, Sofirun, shared his
\ngrief. He said the branch office would consider lifting the
\ncampaign boycott.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, leaflets in support of an alliance between the PPP
\nand ousted leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI)
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri were distributed in street rallies in
\nmajor towns across Java yesterday.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, a number of people on Jl. Dr. Sahardjo in South
\nJakarta distributed copies of placards slamming the government
\nban on pictures and banners portraying the alliance.<\/p>\n
In Yogyakarta, several motorcyclists placed small banners in
\nsupport for the Mega-bintang alliance. The same posters also
\nappeared in East Java cities of Surabaya, Malang and Sidoarjo.<\/p>\n
The government has banned banners and flags suggesting an
\nalliance between Megawati and the star-symboled PPP.
\n(23\/38\/01\/05\/cst\/amd)<\/p>\n
Violence -- Page 4<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/street-rallies-death-toll-rockets-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }