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)