Suspects pursued in Golkar stage arson<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Armed Forces has vowed to track down all
\nthose who burned down a stage in Pekalongan, Central Java, which
\nhad been erected for speeches by Golkar leaders.<\/p>\n
Army Chief of Staff Gen. R. Hartono, National Police Chief Lt.
\nGen. Dibyo Widodo and Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Slamet
\nSupryiadi separately told reporters yesterday that the
\nauthorities were continuing to pursue the culprits.<\/p>\n
Supriyadi said 16 people had been questioned, but none
\ndetained. \"We only reprimanded them and warned them against
\nrepeating their actions,\" he said. \"The Armed Forces will take
\nserious measures against them if they commit similar actions in
\nfuture.\"<\/p>\n
He said no one died in the incident that occurred in the
\ncoastal town some 300 kilometer east of Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Dibyo said, \"We will capture the rioters.\"<\/p>\n
Golkar deputy chairwoman Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, the singer
\nand Golkar candidate for the national legislature, Rhoma Irama,
\nand preacher Zainuddin M.Z. were scheduled to entertain Golkar
\nsupporters yesterday on the stage at the campus of Al Quran
\npesantren (Islamic boarding school) in Buaran village,
\nPekalongan.<\/p>\n
The venue had been decorated in Golkar's yellow.<\/p>\n
On Monday afternoon, hundreds of people with Molotov cocktails
\nburned down the stage and tents, which had been erected for
\nguests.<\/p>\n
\"Only the stage was damaged. No houses, shops or vehicles were
\nburned,\" Supriyadi said.<\/p>\n
He said the riot had erupted after the organizers of the
\nGolkar gathering had taken down the flags of the three political
\ngroupings: Golkar's yellow flags, the United Development Party's
\n(PPP) green flags and the Indonesian Democratic Party's (PDI) red
\nflags.<\/p>\n
According to an agreement by local representatives of the
\nthree groupings, no political colors or symbols should have been
\ndisplayed in the area after March 1.<\/p>\n
Some say the incident erupted because supporters were upset
\nthat their parties' colors were being taken down while Golkar's
\nyellow stage was being erected.<\/p>\n
\"They (the rioters) will be dealt with strongly. No mercy for
\nthem,\" Supriyadi said.<\/p>\n
Hartono said, \"People failed to reason... the Pekalongan
\nincident occurred because of mistakes in the way people saw
\nthings.<\/p>\n
\"Those people had probably misperceived the position of singer
\nRhoma Irama in a certain political grouping,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Rhoma Irama recently jumped ship from the PPP and declared his
\nallegiance to the ruling Golkar. He had publicly supported the
\nPPP in previous election campaigns.<\/p>\n
There has been speculation that the rioters were PPP
\nsupporters who were upset because the party's request to hold a
\ngathering at Pekalongan had been rejected by local authorities.<\/p>\n
Separately, reports came yesterday that rioters attacked the
\nhomes of ethnic Chinese around Pekalongan during a rampage
\napparently triggered by reports of Rhoma Irama's change in
\npolitical allegiance.<\/p>\n
\"A number of houses belonging to the Chinese have been either
\ndamaged or burned,\" a resident said by phone from Pekalongan.<\/p>\n
Police said the situation was under control, but refused to
\ngive further details. Residents said police and troops were
\npatrolling the streets, but there were no reports of casualties.<\/p>\n
\"We don't dare to go out. Many shops are closed and soldiers
\nare seen in many parts of the town,\" a resident said by phone.<\/p>\n
\"It seems that the target is the Chinese even though they have
\nnothing to do with what has happened,\" another resident said.
\n(swe\/imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/suspects-pursued-in-golkar-stage-arson-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}