Wiranto orders stop to killings<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander Gen. Wiranto said
\non Tuesday he had instructed East Java police to put a stop to
\nthe mysterious killing spree which has claimed more than 100
\nvictims, including Islamic teachers and alleged practitioners of
\n"black magic".<\/p>\n
Wiranto, also the defense minister, said he had also ordered
\nthe police to thoroughly investigate the gory murders that
\nstarted in Banyuwangi two months ago and spread to nearby towns
\nof Pasuruan, Jember, Situbondo and Lumajang.<\/p>\n
In Pasuruan, four bodies were found over the weekend. A group
\nof attackers reportedly dragged the victims out of their homes,
\nkilled them and left their bodies on the streets.<\/p>\n
In Situbondo, one died, and in Lumajang, a resident survived
\nan assault but his house was burned down.<\/p>\n
"My first instruction is there should be no more victims. We
\nare also investigating whether these killings were merely
\ncriminal acts or if there were hidden plans," Wiranto told
\nreporters at the House of Representatives after attending a
\nreading on the bill on freedom of expression.<\/p>\n
Dismissing the suggestion the Armed Forces had been slow in
\nreacting to the murders, Wiranto urged communities to beef up
\ntheir security.<\/p>\n
"I am calling on the public to intensify neighborhood night
\npatrols. If each village or subdistrict has their own security
\nwatch, then no strangers could come to cause destruction in the
\nvillages."<\/p>\n
National Police chief Lt. Gen. Roesmanhadi said the
\npreliminary police investigation had determined the murders were
\n"purely criminal" in nature.<\/p>\n
"At this time, we have learned the motives were (personal)
\nrevenge."<\/p>\n
Widespread speculation has centered on whether the killings
\nwere politically motivated.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the National Commission on Human Rights reportedly
\nbegan its investigation on Monday into the murders.<\/p>\n
Rights body members Soetandyo Wignjosoebroto and Koesparmono
\nIrsan have been dispatched to Banyuwangi and neighboring areas to
\ncollect data and information.<\/p>\n
Koesparmono said on Tuesday the rights body would discuss the
\nfindings in a plenary session on Thursday.<\/p>\n
A police source in Banyuwangi said on Tuesday the police had
\narrested 63 suspects, seven of whom were considered the
\nringleaders.<\/p>\n
East Java Police chief Maj. Gen. M. Dayat said on Monday he
\nsuspected "organized crime" was responsible.<\/p>\n
Questioning of suspects detained by the Banyuwangi police
\nindicates the killings were motivated by either personal feuds or
\nfinancial rewards.<\/p>\n
The police and the military are currently sheltering about 300
\npeople considered likely targets of attacks. Many of the murder
\nvictims were preachers from Indonesia's largest Moslem
\norganization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).<\/p>\n
A four-member investigative team formed by the East Java
\nchapter of the National Awakening Party (PKB) suspected on
\nTuesday the killings were backed by a "powerful force" which
\nenabled the perpetrators to commit the murders in a flagrant
\nmanner.<\/p>\n
A source at the party chapter said in Surabaya the team also
\nsuspected the killers possessed sufficient logistics information
\nand a command post to "monitor" the operations.<\/p>\n
Separately in Jakarta on Tuesday, Munir of the Independent
\nCommission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras)
\ntold a media conference that its investigation team was in
\nBanyuwangi.<\/p>\n
"We can't yet make any conclusion, but the authorities seem to
\nhave allowed the killings to continue."<\/p>\n
He said Kontras planned to hold a media conference on Friday
\nto present its investigation results.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Volunteers for Humanity, led by Catholic priest
\nSandyawan Sumardi, urged the government on Tuesday to launch a
\nserious endeavor to stop the killings.<\/p>\n
Police descriptions of the perpetrators tell of knife-wielding
\nkillers, wearing ninja-like black dress and masks.<\/p>\n
Some of the victims reportedly had their throats slashed and
\ntheir bodies mutilated. Body parts were reportedly tossed into
\nmosques or hung from trees. (nur\/27\/byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/wiranto-orders-stop-to-killings-1447893297",
"image": ""
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