Beggars swept from Bogor streets

Beggars swept from Bogor streets

BOGOR (JP): Local police have netted 14 beggars during a
Friday raid here, an official has said.

The arrestees, all of whom are believed to be mentally ill,
included two women, were taken immediately to the Bogor
psychiatric hospital for medical treatment, Bogor Regency Police
Chief Lt. Col. Edmond Ilyas said on Saturday.

Friday's operation, which was jointly conducted by the Bogor
psychiatric hospital and the Ministry of Social Services' local
office, was purely aimed at restoring public order, he said.

"The raid, which will be continued, is not meant to rescue
these people from being possibly killed by angry mobs as an
effect of the spreading rumors of 'ninja' murderers," Edmond
explained.

Police in several towns and cities in East Java and Central
Java have claimed that many people who have been caught red-
handed by local residents killing witchcraft practitioners,
Moslem teachers and scholars in the area were mentally disturbed.

This police finding, however, has led people to carry out
their own kind of justice, beating to death any strangers they
catch and believe to be the black-clad assailants.

So far, mobs have attacked, burned, hanged and beaten to death
people found without identification or roaming the countryside in
East Java and Central Java after dark.

According to Edmond, the raid on the street beggars who were
also mentally ill had nothing to do with rumors here that many
local Moslem preachers and alleged black magic practitioners have
already been terrorized. (24/ivy)