East Java hit by fresh violence

East Java hit by fresh violence

SURABAYA (JP): The province of East Java remained tense with
fresh violence erupting in the town of Pasuruan, some 80
kilometers east of here, on Tuesday when one church was burned
down and two others were vandalized by thousands of people,
claiming to be supporters of President Abdurrahman Wahid.

No fatalities were reported.

Eyewitnesses said that the assailants blocked roads and
prevented fire engines from approaching a Western Indonesian
Protestant Church until the building was completely destroyed by
fire.

The two other churches vandalized by mobs were the Catholic
St. Antonius Church and a Protestant East Java Christian Church.

According to eyewitnesses, people rallied around the town and
pelted the two churches with stones and other hard objects.

Mobs torched three PDI Perjuangan offices on Monday, in
protest of the special session planned by the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Pasuruan Police had to use teargas to disperse an angry mob
who attempted to storm to Pasuruan Police station after
vandalizing the churches.

The town was virtually paralyzed on Tuesday. No offices, shops
and schools were open.

Some 600 students from Muhammadiyah senior high school in
Pasuruan had to take their national examinations at Pasuruan
Police station for security reasons.

"Students filled up virtually all the rooms at the police
station," a police officer said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

In the town of Gresik, some 25 kilometers northwest of
Surabaya, thousands of President Abdurrahman's supporters took to
the street, pelting Muhammadiyah University buildings with
stones.

In Surabaya, three people were shot and dozens of others were
injured in a clash between protesters and security officers in
front of the East Java Legislative Council building on Tuesday.

The incident took place at 11 a.m. when thousands of people,
claiming to be members of the East Java People's Forum, tried to
enter the legislature's grounds. Some of them were people from
Surabaya, others were from Sampang, Madura.

"They attacked security officers. What the policemen did was
standard procedure," Surabaya Police chief Sr. Comr. Suharto
said, commenting on the shooting.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Didi Widayadi said in
Jakarta on Tuesday that many people were demanding that the MPR
plenary session be canceled, that Gus Dur and Mega remain
President and Vice President and that the Golkar Party be
disbanded.

In the town of Jombang, the hometown of the President,
thousands of people occupied the local legislative building and
blocked the Surabaya to Madiun road, forcing the police to divert
traffic for four hours.

President Abdurrahman regretted on Tuesday the violence that
had taken place in East Java on Monday.

Through one of his spokesmen, Yahya C Staquf, the President
asked security officers to be tougher and more careful in
handling such violence.

"The President deeply regrets the violent incidents in East
Java. This is because the President is always against violence in
any situation,' Yahya said in Jakarta.

Arrests

Insp. Gen. Didi said that 150 people had been arrested for
allegedly being provocateurs in Pasuruan.

Meanwhile, East Java Police Headquarters announced that a
total of 135 people had been arrested and detained at several
police stations in Pasuruan, Sidoarjo, Gresik, Jember, and
Surabaya.

"The number includes 20 people who were just named suspects
for their participation in the Pasuruan and Sidoarjo riots on
Monday," East Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Sutanto told reporters
after meeting with leaders of Muhammadiyah's East Java chapter in
Surabaya.

Unconfirmed reports said that similar groups of people will
travel from more towns in East Java to the provincial legislative
building in Surabaya on Wednesday as the House plenary session
was going on in Jakarta.

They will reportedly occupy the Paiton power station in
Probolinggo and Ketapang Port in Banyuwangi.

In efforts to maintain security in their respective regions,
governors in West Java and Yogyakarta called on members of the
public to remain calm, despite what had happened and what might
happen in Jakarta and other areas.

"Let the political elite fight it out among each other. We
should not follow them. We mind our own businesses here," West
Java Governor R. Nuriana told reporters after meeting with
provincial police and military chiefs, religious figures to
discuss the recent situation.

In Yogyakarta, the secretary of the city's provincial
administration, Bambang S. Priyohadi, read Governor
Hamengkubuwono X's instruction on Tuesday asking all elements of
society to remain calm in response to the issuance of an
executive order by President Abdurrahman.

"The national situation is now at the
brink of disintegration as humanity, national pride,
and the awareness of harmony are fading fast," the
instruction said.

The announcement of the governor's instruction was made in
line with the result of the sultan's meeting with Yogyakarta
Police and military chiefs, leaders of political parties and
social organizations on Monday.

A different response was made by Purwokerto Police chief, who
wanted to field the best snipers in anticipation of violence in
the town.

Local religious figures and political party leaders in
Purwokerto, Central Java, also agreed to cooperate to prevent
rioting in the town.

Meanwhile, in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar around 50
members of Muhammadiyah marched to the provincial legislative
council protesting the vandalism against Muhammadiyah properties
in East Java.

Irwan Akib, the spokesman of the group, demanded that the
police probe the recent incidents in East Java. (team)