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)