Books on Situbondo riot circulate in East Java

SURABAYA (JP): The military has launched an investigation into the circulation of a classified book analyzing the background to the riot in the East Java town of Situbondo last October.

The book Keresahan Situbondo (The Situbondo Unrest) which has reportedly been circulating in East Java was written by Choirul Anam, an activist with Ansor, the youth wing of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

Choirul told The Jakarta Post that he only produced seven copies of the books and these were given to specific persons in the provincial administration, the military and top leaders of NU.

He said he had no idea how copies of the book had fallen into the wrong hands. He said the copies had been corrupted and contents had been changed from the original version.

"I'm not responsible for those fake books," he said.

Sources familiar with the book said there are now three different versions of the book in circulation.

The regional military command has issued an appeal for those in possession of the book to hand them over to the authorities.

"The book can create unrest among the public," Maj. Gen. Imam Utomo, chief of the Brawijaya Command, said Friday.

He believed that students and activists have been reprinting and distributing the book.

Sources said the 48-page book analyzes the Situbondo unrest. It concluded that the unrest was the result of a conspiracy by four different groups.

The thesis, conducted by Choirul and friends at Ansor, was intended to counter early accusations that the riot was instigated by members of Nahdlatul Ulama.

Choirul said he had no intention of creating more unrest by producing the book. The book was intended to provide additional material to officials investigating the riot, he said.

Choirul, currently managing editor of Semesta magazine, had written a number of reports in the past about Nahdlatul Ulama. He also wrote an analysis on the conflict between the organization's leaders, chairman Abdurrahman Wahid and his challenger Abu Hasan.

The Situbondo riot on Oct. 10, saw many churches, Christian schools and orphanages, and a Buddhist temple set on fire as well as government-owned property.

Several people who took part in the riot have been convicted but analysts say the authorities have yet to arrest and convict the real masterminds. (25/emb)