Antigovernment rally fails to materialize
JAKARTA (JP): The feared massive antigovernment rally failed to materialize here on Monday, and the city's unusually quiet streets were a testimony of residents' concerns.
With some 40,000 stand-by security troops deployed across the city, businesses and schools were mostly untroubled, except for several places where bomb threats were received.
There were at least three separate bomb threats and a rumor of a bomb in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, all eventually proving to be hoaxes.
Threats were received at the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) office in Central Jakarta, at Blok M business district and nearby Al Azhar mosque, both in South Jakarta.
Coordinating Minister for Economy Rizal Ramli was presiding over a ministerial meeting when a Bappenas staffer, named Yuni, received a bomb threat at 8.40 a.m.
An unidentified caller told Yuni that bombs had been planted at five points in the building, which is situated only a few meters away from the official residence of Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Central Jakarta Police personnel searched the building and found no bomb.
At about the same time, Indah, a resident of Jl. Garuda Ujung in Kemayoran, also in Central Jakarta, received a package believed to contain a bomb.
Chief of Kemayoran Police subprecinct, Maj. Sujono, said the package, wrapped in brown paper, was sent by a man identified as Yuwono TG, a resident of Bandungan tourist resort in Ambarawa regency, Central Java.
Quoting Indah's brother, Hendra, who received the package, Sujono said the package was brought in by a man wearing a black jacket, riding a motorcycle.
As Hendra found cables inside the package, he placed it on the roadside and reported it to the police, Sujono said.
A bomb threat was also received at Al-Azhar Islamic school from a telephone call at 9.45 a.m., an employee named Irfan said.
"This man advised us to evacuate the building because it was going to explode," he said.
Police from Taman Puring subprecinct came along with the City Police bomb unit only to find no explosive device after more than an hour of searching.
The school's head of security, Teguh Budi, said all students were asked to go home immediately following the threat.
While the Jakarta's ministry of education office allowed schools to halt activities on Monday due to the rumored mass mobilization, some schools were unperturbed by security fears.
Among those schools were SMUN 54 state high school in Jatinegara and SMUN 21 state high school in Pulomas, both in East Jakarta, and SMPN 22 state junior high school in Jembatan Batu, West Jakarta.
Spokesman for SMUN 54 Supena said the school opted to continue activities on grounds that Monday's big rally was just a rumor.
"There was nothing to worry about, since it was just a rumor. We couldn't be sure whether it would happen or not," Supena told The Jakarta Post.
Like major streets, several business centers in the capital were quieter on Monday.
Markets in Jatinegara and Kramat Jati in East Jakarta and the crowded area of Pasar Kenari, Pasar Rumput and Senen markets in Central Jakarta were opened but with few shoppers.
"Most of the vendors here keep their shops open because they do not want to lose customers or buyers. It's quite tiring if every time you hear rumors of riots you suspend your business. It's a loss anyway," Fandry, a foam-bed supplier at Jatinegara market, said.
Some kiosks in Jatinegara, however, were closed.
In Kramat Jati wholesaler market, business halted at 8 a.m.
"All vendors here tended to finish their activities sooner in case of something went wrong," Karjo, a corn broker, said.
Trading in Glodok electronic center and Senen business area in Central Jakarta was visibly normal on Monday.
Meanwhile, about six Japanese businessmen, temporarily working in the capital, left their hotel in West Jakarta on Monday to anticipate the rumors.
A hotel staffer who requested anonymity, said his clients only left the capital for one day.
"They went to Bogor and will return here on Tuesday," he said. (02/04/07/edt)