'Deranged person' detained for safety

'Deranged person' detained for safety

JAKARTA (JP): A local man, believed to be mentally ill, was
detained for burning a Koran in a mosque and a podium in another
one in Ngbang, a small town near the West Kalimantan provincial
capital of Pontianak on Thursday.

Sgt. Irwanto of the Ngabang police station told The Jakarta
Post said the man identified as Ibok was in police custody to
save him from "being tried" by the local people.

"The suspect, who comes from a remote area in the subdistrict,
cannot undergo a police investigation because he is mentally
ill," he said.

Irwanto said that residents of the small town were deployed to
guard all mosques and churches for fear of possible riots. (rms)