11 killed in vigilante violence since January, police report
11 killed in vigilante violence since January, police report
JAKARTA (JP): Eleven men have been mobbed to death since
January this year in increasing cases of vigilantism in Greater
Jakarta, city police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said on
Monday.
Zainuri said in some cases, mobs burned victims alive, or set
them on fire after they were mobbed to death.
"We have yet to find a way of controlling the increase in
vigilantism here," Zainuri told reporters.
He said with millions of unemployed city residents, people
tended to become restless and frustrated, which often led them to
commit crimes.
"Whether it is the thief or the man who mobs the thief to
death, both have committed a crime. The rate of deaths by
vigilantism would decrease if living conditions became better for
residents."
According to police data, the 11 who were killed were mostly
alleged thieves.
On March 30, three alleged thieves were mobbed to death in
Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi. In Bogor, a man was caught taking
two live chickens.
Two unidentified men were mobbed to death in Tangerang on
March 15 when they were caught stealing a live goat. Residents
burned their bodies afterward.
Oni, 25, who was suspected of stealing a goat in Tangerang,
was beaten and then stoned to death on March 17.
Three of four men allegedly caught stealing a motorcycle, were
beaten, and then burned to death in Cengkareng, West Jakarta,
also on March 17.
On March 5, angry ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers in Jagakarsa
allegedly lynched a man, identified as Tarmo, for not paying for
his ride.
The ojek drivers said they were unaware that Tarmo was
suspected of attacking National Awakening Party (PKB) chairman
Matori Abdul Djalil earlier at his residence in the Tanjung Mas
Raya housing complex of Jagakarsa.
Toyib, 38, a resident of Cibeureum, Malingping, Lebak, was
beaten and burned to death when he was allegedly caught stealing
a motorcycle in early January.
Police shot dead on March 27 two of four suspected thieves,
identified as Iwan and Asep. The four suspects had normally
operated near the Jl. Perintis-Yos Sudarso intersection of Kelapa
Gading in North Jakarta.
The third suspect, Luki, surrendered to police, and the fourth
suspect, Eko, is still at large.
Zainuri said poverty and frustration also compelled people to
commit other crimes.
"Very poor people who rape women before robbing them is an
attempt of killing someone mentally," Zainuri said.
"An example of a different kind of vigilantism is when a
student gets killed by another during a brawl."
On February 25, Iskandari, 21, a resident of Pasarbaru Timur,
Central Jakarta, was stabbed to death by a high school student in
Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta.
A woman, identified as Mhr, 23, was viciously and repeatedly
raped by two men in a taxi on Jan. 21. Following the rape, the
men robbed her of about Rp 500,000 (US$66). (ylt)