Four questioned for role in provoking Lampung brawl
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)