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)