Fresh riots erupt in N. Sumatra and S. Sulawesi

Fresh riots erupt in N. Sumatra and S. Sulawesi

JAKARTA (JP): Rioting erupted Wednesday in the North Sumatra
town of Tanjungbalai and South Sulawesi town of Jeneponto leaving
at least one man dead and 14 people injured.

Hundreds of shops were damaged and looted and a number of cars
and motorcycles burned.

Asahan Police Chief Lt. Col Satria Sitepu said in Tanjungbalai
that the fatality, Rizal, died when he was hit by a vehicle
during the unrest. The 14 injured were hit by rubber bullets
fired by police in the town 150 kilometers southeast of the North
Sumatra capital of Medan.

Satria also said that 218 people had been arrested, including
seven women, for rioting and looting.

Branches of two private banks, Bank Central Asia and Danamon
Bank, were damaged and a small hotel was gutted by fire.

The authorities are still investigating what provoked the
riot, but some witnesses said that it was started by a number of
people who went to the local legislature to protest rampant
gambling, prostitution, smuggling, drinking and alleged nepotism
in the town.

Bukit Barisan Regional Military Command spokesman Lt. Col.
Agus Ramadhan said the meeting between the local people and the
legislators ran smoothly on Wednesday afternoon.

But, Agus said, the crowd outside the legislature building
quickly swelled from 500 to thousands. They then suddenly went on
a rampage.

Agus said security forces from surrounding areas were deployed
and were able to restore order by early yesterday.

Riots have occurred in the Strait of Malacca port-town that is
home to 130,000 people in the past, sparked by people angry over
years of rampant gambling, prostitution, and smuggling.

Local government spokesman Eddy Sofyan denied rumors that
Mayor A. Muis Dalimunthe, who is also the brother of North
Sumatra's Vice Governor A. Wahab Dalimunthe, fled from the town
during the dialog between the local people and the legislators.

He said the mayor was still in the town yesterday.

In Jeneponto, some 75 kilometers south of the South Sulawesi
capital of Ujungpandang, some 100 junior and senior high school
students smashed shops and buildings near the local public
market.

Students began rioting after attending a free-speech forum
held by local university students to protest alleged nepotism in
the election of the regent.

Police detained 50 students but released them later in the
day.

The riots in Tanjungbalai and Jeneponto happened less than two
weeks after three days of widespread rioting and looting hit
Jakarta on May 13. At least 500 people died in that violence
which caused more than Rp 2.5 trillion (US$238 million) in
material losses.

Rioting also rocked Medan earlier this month after three days
of student protests ended with violent clashes with security
personnel, leaving dozens injured. (21/37/byg)