1,500 hooligans still at Senayan

JAKARTA (JP): At least 1,500 Surabaya soccer hooligans, locally known as bonek, were still being "secured" at Senayan Stadium yesterday, waiting for their free-ride home to the East Java capital.

City Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said yesterday that the hooligans were temporarily being kept at the stadium after they failed to board a Navy vessel on Monday evening that shipped some of them back to Surabaya.

"The vessel could only accommodate 800 of them and the remaining 1,500 were brought back to the stadium," he said.

According to Aritonang, the stranded hooligans would be transported by land starting yesterday evening.

After hysterically enjoying their team's victory in the final match on Monday evening, the hooligans -- who totaled more than 10,000 people, mostly teenagers -- immediately flocked to the city's main roads, bus terminals and railway stations to find a way back home.

At least 11 police and military trucks were assigned to carry some of them to Tanjung Priok seaport that night where they were to be transferred to Surabaya by sea, Aritonang said.

"But about 1,500 of them could not get onto the ship because it was already overloaded," he said. "So, they were taken back to Senayan where they spent the night."

A police source said another 250 fans, who were stranded at Senen Railway Station yesterday, argued with soldiers who tried to secure the entrance gates. But no physical clash occurred.

The source said the hooligans tried to enter the station to take a free ride to East Java.

Initially, the hooligans were scheduled to take four regular buses already parked at the station.

State railway company Perumka earlier mentioned its fear of risking more damage by transporting the hooligans back to East Java.

The company's operational director, Widjanarko, said yesterday that many train cars were damaged by the hooligans.

"Calculated damages reached more than Rp 420 million (US$164,705)," Widjanarko said.

City Police spent millions of rupiah for the hooligans' meals after they arrived.

But Surabaya Mayor Sunarto promised to reimburse all expenses incurred by the hooligans paid for by the Jakarta Police. (cst)