Unrest blamed on Soeharto's supporters<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono said on
\nThursday he believed a series of riots and disturbances plaguing
\nthe country were linked to supporters of former president
\nSoeharto.<\/p>\n
Juwono said after a commemoration of the birth of state
\nideology Pancasila that "the New Order people" were stirring up
\ntrouble in a bid to shake the government of President Abdurrahman
\nWahid.<\/p>\n
"These incidents were to anger and confuse Gus Dur, but Gus
\nDur will remain strong, and he said he would fight every attempt
\nat such," Juwono told reporters, referring to Abdurrahman by his
\npopular nickname.<\/p>\n
Asked whether he thought followers of Soeharto were behind the
\nattacks, Juwono said: "Yes, and based on the information which I
\nhave received from military intelligence sources, these people
\nare in Jakarta."<\/p>\n
At least 47 people were injured on Sunday when a bomb exploded
\nin a church in Medan, the capital of North Sumatra. Bombs were
\nalso found at two other churches and on a road linking Medan and
\nDeli Serdang.<\/p>\n
The bombs have raised fears that "provocateurs", who have
\noften been blamed for inciting violence in the country, were
\ntrying to ignite sectarian riots similar to the Muslim-Christian
\nconflict that has ravaged Maluku since early 1999.<\/p>\n
Violence in Maluku has flared up again with dozens killed in
\nattacks on mostly Christian villages on the remote island of
\nHalmahera.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, at least three people were wounded when security
\npersonnel dispersed an armed group trying to force their way into
\nthe predominantly Christian area of Pohon Pule near the Trikora
\nMonument and Sedap Malam and Anthony Rhebok streets.<\/p>\n
Sounds of gunfire and explosions were heard until 6:30 p.m.
\nlocal time, but they ceased when a heavy downpour began.<\/p>\n
Roadblocks were seen in almost every corner of town in an
\nattempt to avoid recurring attacks from both sides of the warring
\ncamps.<\/p>\n
Tension in the region has been fanned by the arrival of more
\nthan 2,000 Muslim volunteers from a group which has vowed a jihad
\nin Maluku.<\/p>\n
Juwono said he had information that followers of Soeharto were
\nhelping fund the jihad fighters.<\/p>\n
The 78-year-old Soeharto is under house arrest and Attorney
\nGeneral Marzuki Darusman said he expects to bring a corruption
\ncase against the former ruler by August.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar, at least
\nthree people were seriously injured on Thursday after a group of
\nunidentified people began stopping vehicles in front of the
\ncampus of the Indonesian Muslim University (UMI).<\/p>\n
UMI's chancellor Mansyur Ramli said, however, that he still
\ncould not confirm if the sweeps were conducted by his students.<\/p>\n
Police and hospital sources said at least 16 people, mostly
\nChristians, had been injured in a series of sweeps in the city
\nsince Tuesday. They were attacked in retaliation for the ongoing
\nsectarian violence in the Central Sulawesi town of Poso, police
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Chief of Panakkukang subdistrict Capt. Marjuki said Thursday's
\nincident started at about noon and a team of security personnel
\nwere dispatched to the area to prevent the violence from
\nspreading.<\/p>\n
Police also said a 17-year-old boy was arrested on Thursday
\nafter he was found with a molotov cocktail near Makassar's Grand
\nMosque. (27\/49\/edt\/byg)<\/p>",
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