Dozens of building razed in Kebumen riot

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)