Fresh riot shakes Pekalongan, leaving several stores damaged
Fresh riot shakes Pekalongan, leaving several stores damaged
PEKALONGAN, Central Java (JP): Fresh unrest erupted here
yesterday leaving several stores damaged, according to residents
still weary after politically motivated riots two weeks earlier.
Pekalongan Police Chief Col. Solichin confirmed yesterday's
riot but said it had been immediately contained. "Everything is
under control and a number of rioters are being questioned at the
police precinct now," he said.
Details of the riot were sketchy. Residents said one person
had been stabbed, but it was not clear whether it was fatal.
Solichin, however, told The Jakarta Post there had been no deaths
or people injured "even though there was an explosion".
He refused to give details about the explosion or the number
of people arrested.
Solichin did not say whether yesterday's riot was connected to
the previous one, but Reuter quoted another officer as confirming
a link.
Reports said the riot started with a crowd gathering in the
Kradenan village Saturday night during a Koranic class given by
three local Moslem preachers.
Among the preachers was K.H. Afifuddin Musytari, who had been
summoned by police over allegations that he masterminded the
March 26 riot in this coastal town some 300 kilometer east of
Jakarta. The first riot erupted after local officials removed the
banners of the Moslem-based United Development Party (PPP).
A resident said that after the Koranic class, which lasted
until early Sunday, the crowd started removing the flags and
banners of the ruling political grouping Golkar which were all
over the place.
Security personnel then chased them away in the direction of
Buaran district some seven kilometers away.
The resident, a businessman, said the masses set up
roadblocks, dumping logs and garbage bins in the officers' way.
He also said a group of people had on Friday staged a
demonstration outside the Pekalongan police precinct demanding
that their friends, detained since the previous riot, be
released.
Another source said that after the class, the crowd moved
directly toward the shopping center on Jl. Urip Sumoharjo in
Buaran, shouting all the way Allahu Akbar (Allah is Great).
They then broke into a motorcycle dealer store, dragged out
seven motorcycles and set them on fire. They also burned several
other shops, a ketchup warehouse and a truck garage, the source
said.
Troops moved to contain the unrest about one hour after it
broke out. Antara quoted Col. Amirul Isnaeni of the local
military division as saying that security personnel were still
stationed at the site of the rioting.
"Despite seeing the security officers, the rioters still tried
to rampage further. They fled only after the officers fired some
warning shots," the Post source said.
Thirty people were detained and tried for the March 26 riot.
They were sentenced to terms ranging from three days to three
months for their involvement in the riot which left a number of
stores and properties of local ethnic Chinese damaged. (wah/5)