Dozens of building razed in Kebumen riot

JAKARTA (JP): At least 35 shops and warehouses and a truck were burned and dozens of other buildings badly damaged in a riot in the Central Java town of Kebumen on Monday.

At nightfall, the situation remained tense as troops brought in from other areas attempted to restore order.

Crowds ignored the security personnel, looting shops belonging to Chinese-Indonesians and setting the buildings alight.

Traffic in the town was disrupted and electricity was cut. The mob threw stones at branches of Lippo, BCA and Danamon banks and a department store, damaging the structures.

Governor Mardiyanto and Maj. Gen. Tyasno Sudarto, chief of the Diponegoro Military Command supervising Central Java and Yogyakarta, failed to calm the people despite arriving only a few hours after the unrest began.

Antara news agency quoted Kebumen police chief Lt. Col. Nuryanto Suharto as saying there was no need to enforce a curfew.

Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Deddy Komaruddin, chief of the Purwokerto police precinct, told The Jakarta Post that the riot was sparked by a minor incident between a spare parts shop owner, identified as Yohannes, and a worker.

"Yohannes, a Chinese-Indonesian, reportedly beat the worker for causing a can of oil to spill. The worker ran out of the shop and reported the incident to pedicab and bus drivers at a nearby location." He added the rioting soon spread to other parts of the town.

He said riot police and troops succeeded in bringing the situation under control temporarily at midday. He added that hundreds of students were also involved in the unrest and dozens of rioters had been detained for questioning. Dozens of security personnel were injured.

"We must say that we regret the incident and call on people to control their emotion and not to let themselves be provoked by certain parties." He said Yohannes was in custody and would be examined regarding the rioting. (rms/45)