1,500 hooligans still at Senayan

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)