Brebes calm after Sunday riot, police still investigating

SEMARANG, Central Java (JP): Police in Brebes have said they are still investigating a riot on Sunday in which 10 people were hurt when Golkar supporters clashed with followers of the splintered Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) faction led by Megawati Soekarnoputri.

"The town's quiet now but we're still deploying police," Brebes Police chief Lt. Col. Zaenal Syarif Alamsyah said.

The injured were said to include supporters of both Golkar and PDI.

Golkar held a bazaar in Brebes on Sunday afternoon as a part of its program to commemorate Golkar's anniversary which fell in October. But hundreds of people threw away about 350 yellow Golkar flags that had been put up throughout the town.

Mobs invaded the stadium, destroyed commodities displayed there, threw stones at Golkar supporters, damaged 14 cars and even tried to chase local officials present there.

Some shouted "PDI cadres should not be afraid of Golkar!"

"We will probe this embarrassing clash ... We have not identified those who provoked it, either among the supporters of Megawati or Golkar," Syarif said.

On Monday the head of Golkar's Central Java branch Mochammad Hasbi said he deeply regretted the assault by PDI supporters.

Hasbi said on Monday the 5,000 Golkar supporters gathered at Karang Birahi soccer stadium had refrained from retaliating against the 500-strong mob.

"We do not want revenge ... we do not want bloodshed," Hasbi said, demanding stern action against the attackers. "Why did they attack a party meeting which the police had been notified of?" he added, saying the attack "abused human rights".

East Nusa Tenggara Police chief Col. Engkesman Rengkeong Hillep said on Monday he had not been able to identify the instigators of the burning of mosques in the provincial capital Kupang last week. Police have detained 37 suspects.

His spokesman Maj.Sismantoro could not confirm a statement by National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Togar Sianipar that at least six "provocateurs" had been arrested in Kupang.

"In our criminal law there is no such term," Sismantoro said.

Rioters burned or ransacked at least nine mosques on Nov. 30 in apparent retaliation of the burning or vandalism of 22 churches in Jakarta eight days previously. (har/prb)