Tension, violence mar New Year's celebrations<\/p>\n
BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Tension and violence marred New Year's
\ncelebrations in several areas of the country, including the
\ndisputed province of Aceh, where at least six people were killed.<\/p>\n
Four people were killed in North Aceh, East Aceh and Aceh
\nBesar on Monday, while two others died on New Year's Eve.<\/p>\n
Among the victims was police Chief Sgt. Faisal, who was killed
\nby gunmen in a market in Alueieputeh, Baktia district, North
\nAceh, on Monday.<\/p>\n
Two civilians, Usman and Zulfadli, were found stabbed to death
\nin Cot Guirek village in Lhoksukon, North Aceh.<\/p>\n
Three others who were found dead from gunshot wounds in Aceh
\nBesar and East Aceh have not yet been identified.<\/p>\n
Over 900 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the
\ncontinuing violence in Aceh in 2000.<\/p>\n
In Ambon, the ravaged capital of Maluku, people celebrated New
\nYear's by firing gunshots into the air. There also were reports
\nof people using grenades and mortars as \"firecrackers\".<\/p>\n
The area was tense on Sunday night, and Maluku Governor Saleh
\nLatuconsina called on people to restrain themselves and end the
\nconflict. No casualties were reported during the celebrations.<\/p>\n
In Bali, provincial police were put on alert following a
\nreport that some 200 intruders had arrived in Bali to instigate
\nriots, and rumors that some 13 spots in Kuta had been targeted
\nfor bomb attacks.<\/p>\n
One bomb threat was reported at the Hotel Melia Bali in
\nTanjung Benoa on Sunday night, but it proved to be a hoax.<\/p>\n
In Bandung, West Java, eight people reportedly were taken to
\nhospitals on Sunday as hundreds of thousands of people celebrated
\nthe New Year.<\/p>\n
Three of the eight suffered eye injuries from exploding
\nfirecrackers, two were admitted to the hospital because of drug
\noverdoses, another two were injured in car accidents and another
\nsuffered severe cuts. The eight were rushed to Carolus Boromeus
\nHospital and Hasan Sadikin General Hospital.<\/p>\n
Separately, Pelabuhan Ratu Police Air and Sea Monitoring Unit
\nchief Sr. Insp. Sudarmo reported that at least six students had
\ndrowned in separate locations in the area since Saturday.<\/p>\n
The New Year festivities went smoothly in Batam, Riau, with
\nhundreds of revelers gathering at several locations in the
\nterritory, including Marina City and Fissabililah Bridge, which
\nlinks Batam and Tonton islands.<\/p>\n
On Monday, the Batam, Rempang and Galang (Barelang) police
\nestablished a coordination with the task forces of several
\npolitical parties and social organizations, grouped under the
\nBatam Communities Communications Forum, to help the police ensure
\nsecurity at places of worship.<\/p>\n
In Surabaya, East Java, heavy rain and cold did little to
\nhamper the excitement of the New Year, as residents took to the
\nstreets to share their joy by blowing paper trumpets, setting off
\nfirecrackers and dancing in the city's main streets.<\/p>\n
Surabaya Police chief Sr. Supt. Suharto said the police
\nconducted a sweep for sharp weapons and suspicious packages
\nearlier on Sunday. The police seized some 25 sharp weapons in the
\noperation.<\/p>\n
There was some violence on Sunday, with residents of Sidodadi
\nvillage, Balung district, setting fire to a passenger bus, Eka,
\nplying the Surabaya-Yogyakarta route following an accident in
\nwhich a motorcyclist was killed.<\/p>\n
Balung Bendo Police chief Sr. Insp. I Putu Sudika said no bus
\npassengers were injured and the bus driver, identified as
\nSunaryo, managed to flee the scene.<\/p>\n
In Semarang, Central Java, one person died and eight others
\nwere injured in New Year's Eve traffic accidents in the city of
\nKendal, some 30 kilometers from Semarang.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, thousands of revelers gathered at hotels, malls,
\nchurches and mosques, and thousands of others took to the city's
\nmain streets, including Jl. Pemuda, Jl. Pahlawan, Jl.Pandamaran
\nand Jl. Ahmad Yani, to celebrate the New Year.<\/p>\n
In Yogyakarta, there was a report of a suspicious package
\nallegedly containing two kilograms of explosives placed at the
\ngates of a textile factory in Gamping, some five kilometers west
\nof Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
The police Mobile Brigade arrived and secured the area by 1
\na.m. on Monday. But it turned out to be a hoax, and the package
\nonly contained dog skins.<\/p>\n
Police were kept busy with another report from the Bausasran
\nbusiness area of Yogyakarta, about a motorcyclist who placed a
\nsuspicious-looking package in a women's dormitory.<\/p>\n
But police only found sand and glass fragments in the package.
\n(23\/25\/26\/50\/nur\/har\/edt\/lup\/zen\/ylt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tension-violence-mar-new-years-celebrations-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}