Calm returns to Lombok as death toll hits five
Calm returns to Lombok as death toll hits five
MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara (JP): Uneasy calm returned to
Lombok island on Thursday as police announced the death toll rose
to five in the four days of riots.
The provincial police spokesman, Capt. Agus Sutisna, said
security personnel shot dead two men identified as Rum, 40, and
Seni, 35, who were from Karang Buaya village in Ampenan, and an
unidentified man during a mob attack and looting on a church on
Jl. Asah at about 8:45 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
The other man, identified as Junaidin, 21, suffered a gunshot
wound to his right leg and is currently being treated at Mataram
General Hospital.
"Police were forced to open fire to disperse the mob. The four
men were rioters who attempted to burn the church," Agus said.
Police shot two alleged looters on Tuesday.
The incident took place just a few hours after National Police
chief Lt. Gen. Rusdihardjo ordered a shoot-on-sight order to
quell the unrest, which first broke out on Monday.
As of Thursday, a total of 203 alleged rioters and
provocateurs were detained, of which 15 were declared suspects.
In its grievance to the attack and looting of places of
worship, the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) suspected
that the act of violence was "premeditated, systematic and
detrimental to the nation's unity".
"We are deeply disappointed with the security apparatus who
are not only slow, but lack authority to enforce the law," the
communion said in its statement signed by chairman Sularso
Sopater and secretary-general J.M. Pattiasina.
The PGI also expressed fear that the riots in Lombok would
spark violence in other places in the country.
People here have resumed daily activities, with some shops
reopening. Long queues were seen at gas stations.
As of Thursday evening, no arson or looting was reported, but
police's radio communication was jammed with voices of intruders
condemning security authorities or certain religious groups.
Over 1,500 military and police personnel have been deployed to
restore order on the riot-torn island, including the armor ship
KRI Mandau, which docked half a mile from Ampenan port.
Security was tight at several entrances to the island and its
vicinity, such as Padangbai and Benoa ports and Bali's Ngurah Rai
Airport.
Despite the semblance of peace, Chinese-Indonesians and
Christian residents as well as tourists were still seen fleeing
Lombok to seek safety.
Sodik Hasanuddin, the Selaparang Airport manager, said that on
Thursday there were 23 flights available and over 2,500 people
were evacuated from the airport, mostly to neighboring Bali
island. A total of 6,000 people have fled Lombok, a military
source said.
The island's residents are now encountering new problems as
staple food prices are soaring. Cooking oil was being sold at Rp
5,000 per liter, an increase from the normal price of Rp 3,500,
an egg was being sold at Rp 800 from Rp 600 and kerosene was up
from Rp 400 to Rp 500 per liter.
The riots also disturbed economic and daily activities from
Flores to Java as many were stuck in overcrowded routes and fears
grew from the melee in Mataram.
In a bid to prevent an escalation of the unrest, TNI chief
Adm. Widodo A.S. urged the public not to hold any mass
gatherings. "I have ordered my officers across the country to ask
local leaders not to hold mass gatherings," he said on the
sidelines of the state budget delivery speech at the House of
Representatives.
A Muslim group in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar
canceled a planned Tablig Akbar, which was originally scheduled
to take place on Friday at the Al Markaz Al Islami Mosque
compound. (27/zen/edt/jun/sur)