Four questioned for role in provoking Lampung brawl

JAKARTA (JP): Central Lampung Police are questioning four men for allegedly instigating a brawl between rival residents of East Jabung district on Friday which claimed four lives, a police officer said on Monday.

"Police are continuing to question the suspects, but we need more witnesses," Central Lampung Police chief Lt. Col. P.L. Tobing was quoted by Antara as saying.

The brawl, which took place on Friday, involved residents of Way Mili and Nibung villages. It began when four suspected thieves were beaten to death by an angry crowd on Friday.

The lynching then sparked further unrest on Saturday, when thousands of people went on a rampage. No fatalities were reported.

Security forces patrolled the area on Monday and there were no reports of fresh unrest.

"We have experienced difficulty investigating the case because it involved so many people...it's hard for us to identify who was actually responsible," Tobing said.

The incident would never have happened if people had not taken the law into their own hands, he said.

On Monday, observers expressed concern over recent outbreaks of violence, saying it was a sign that people had lost faith in the law and those charged with enforcing it.

Bambang Widjojanto, the chairman of the Indonesia Legal Aid Foundation, told The Jakarta Post that people had for a long time been living under an unfair and discriminatory law.

"Many people think that the law sides with the powerful. This long-held grudge can easily spill over in the form of rebellious acts, as shown by the recent violence throughout the country," he said.

He suggested that those responsible for enforcing the law should strive to win back public confidence in order to prevent further chaos.

"Take the side of the people by solving cases of collusion, corruption and nepotism," he said.

Sociologist Sutandyo Wignjosubroto concurred, saying that recent outbursts of anger had a distrust of the security forces at their heart.

"Why else, for instance, would crowds pelt the police with stones or throw Molotov cocktails at soldiers?" the Airlangga University professor said. (edt)