Top security alert imposed, violence flares up in E. Java<\/p>\n
SURABAYA, East Java (JP): As police called for a top security
\nalert throughout the country amid the heightened tension between
\nmembers of the political elite, riots hit several towns of East
\nJava province on Monday when thousands of self-proclaimed
\nsupporters of President Abdurrahman Wahid rampaged at public
\nfacilities, schools and offices of opposing political parties.<\/p>\n
National Police chief contoller of patrols, Brig. Gen.
\nSylvanus Wenas announced the full alert as he inspected the
\nreadiness of police officers posted in the compound of the House
\nof Representatives in Senayan, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, East Java, the President's stronghold, had been
\ndeclared as subject to top security alert status since last
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
More violence hit several towns in the province, involving the
\nmobs claiming to be supporters of embattled President
\nAbdurrahman, who is at the brink of impeachment.<\/p>\n
They rampaged school buildings, burned the offices of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle and the United
\nDevelopment Party, put up road blocks and vandalized public
\nfacilities.<\/p>\n
Those incidents erupted at almost the same time, between 9
\na.m. and 10:30 a.m.<\/p>\n
On Monday afternoon, a total of 30 people were arrested by the
\nPasuruan and Sidoarjo police in relation to the violence,
\naccording to chief of operations and control of the East Java
\npolice Sr. Comr. Sabur W.S.<\/p>\n
\"The people were arrested in Pasuruan and Sidoarjo, but they
\nhave all been handed over to East Java police for further
\nquestioning,\" he told reporters in Surabaya.<\/p>\n
There were no reports yet of injuries, despite the damage
\ncaused by the fierce protests.<\/p>\n
In Sidoarjo, thousands of people arriving on a number of
\ntrucks went to a Muhammadiyah school compound where they threw
\nstones at the building. They were armed with sickles, axes and
\nsticks.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of high school students who were sitting their
\nnationwide final examinations, ran out of their classrooms in
\nfear.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of personnel from the local Mobile Brigade police and
\nthe infantry battalion came later, firing warning shots to
\ndisperse the angry people in order to prevent further violence.<\/p>\n
The attackers also clashed with security personnel, during
\nwhich a vehicle used by the rioters was seriously damaged.<\/p>\n
In Pasuruan, similar destructive action also took place.<\/p>\n
Around 50 motorcyclists suddenly entered the compound of
\nMuhammadiyah schools in Bangil district and shattered windows and
\nset ablaze the furniture and other items inside the schools'
\ncooperative shop.<\/p>\n
Muhammadiyah was once chaired by Amien Rais, chairman of the
\nNational Mandate Party (PAN), a staunch critic of the President.
\nAmien is still regarded as a central figure in the Muslim
\norganization.<\/p>\n
Still in Pasuruan, groups of people, armed with sickles and
\nsticks, torched the office building of the local chapter of PDI
\nPerjuangan. Police personnel fired warning shots to disperse the
\ncrowd. In total, at least three PDI Perjuangan offices and posts
\nwere damaged in the town.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in the early hours of Monday, the residence of M.
\nChozin, treasurer at the local PAN in Mulyasari, East Surabaya,
\nwas hit by firecrackers and homemade Molotov cocktails. The
\nterrace, roof and the windows of the house were broken.<\/p>\n
\"My neighbors spotted that three people in a passing Opel
\nBlazer did that (the attacks). They accelerated away after the
\nexplosives hit my house,\" Chozin said.<\/p>\n
Antara reported that in other parts of the province such as
\nJember and Pamekasan, thousands of Abdurrahman's supporters held
\nprotests against the calls for a special session of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly.<\/p>\n
In other major cities throughout the country, as in the
\ncapital of West Java, Bandung, the capital city of Bali,
\nDenpasar, in Yogyakarta and also in Makassar, the capital city of
\nSouth Sulawesi the security situation was relatively calm.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Didi Widayadi
\ntold reporters that should chaotic situations occur, police would
\n\"systematically use tear gas and if rioters still continued and
\nthe situation worsened, police would not hesitate to use rubber
\nbullets ... and later live bullets.\"<\/p>\n
No significant incidents occurred in the capital in connection
\nwith the President's announcement of the executive order.<\/p>\n
Separately, the chief of Indonesian Military (TNI), Adm.
\nWidodo Adisucipto, said his troops were also in a state of
\nreadiness to back up police throughout the country.<\/p>\n
He also called on the political leaders to \"issue statements
\nthat will not drive their supporters to react with anarchic
\nactions.\"<\/p>\n
\"Show statesmanlike behavior because that's what is needed
\n(from them) now by their followers,\" Widodo added.
\n(ylt\/nur\/27\/25\/zen\/02)<\/p>",
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