600 police safeguard football match tonight

600 police safeguard football match tonight

JAKARTA (JP): At least 600 police equipped with batons and
five dogs will be deployed for the final between Mastrans Bandung
Raya and PSM Ujungpandang of the Indonesian football championship
here tonight.

Hundreds of military personnel will back up the police to
avoid a repeat of the mass brawls and vandalism which erupted
around Senayan stadium shortly after a weakened Mastrans defeated
Mitra Surabaya in the semifinal match on Friday.

According to Central Jakarta police chief, Lt. Col. Abubakar
Nataprawira, Friday's violence left at least two people seriously
injured and 19 cars and four buses damaged.

The number of vehicles hit by stones was actually slightly
higher than that. A Post reporter saw at least 50 cars and more
than five buses vandalized.

"I was driving through Jl. Sudirman heading to Blok M when the
supporters threw stones at my car and the other vehicles near me
in front of the City Police Headquarters," said Irma, owner of a
Peugeot sedan.

A total of 60 Mitra supporters and two Mastrans fans were
detained by the police last night but some of them were released
yesterday afternoon after their identities were established.

Some of the thousands of Mitra supporters went home yesterday.

According to Widjanarko, director of the Perumka railway
company for Greater Jakarta, the firm provided tickets to 3,715
Mitra's supporters from Senen railway station to Pasar Turi
station in Surabaya, East Java.

"It cost Rp 50 million, which will be paid by Governor Basofi
Sudirman as promised," Widjanarko told reporters yesterday.
Crowding into 11 wagons, the fans were escorted by 100 military
personnel and 10 members of the elite Mobile Brigade police unit.

They threw stones at houses and stations during the 12-hour
trip.

Motorists are advised not to use the streets around Senayan
stadium around the time of the match. (bsr)