Fresh riots hit West Java and S. Sumatra towns

Fresh riots hit West Java and S. Sumatra towns

BANDUNG (JP): Fresh rioting hit the West Java town of
Pangalengan yesterday while unrest continued in the South Sumatra
subdistrict of Pagaralam.

In Pangalengan, police arrested three people on charges of
inciting the riot in which eight shops were attacked and looted
before the situation was brought under control.

The riot coincided with a mass strike by bus drivers
protesting against spiraling prices of essential commodities and
auto parts.

Eye witnesses said people were seen loitering around in
several places waiting for buses. They turned violent after being
provoked to riot by another group of people.

The mob threw stones at shops and houses. Dozens of security
officers quickly moved in to disperse the 200 rioters.

Rumors of imminent riot abounded in Bandung, but came to
nothing. Security officers were visible in strategic areas of
this city.

Meanwhile, the South Sumatra town of Pagaralam, 200 kilometers
south of the capital Palembang, remained tense yesterday after
being rocked with violent protests at price increases Sunday.

AP reported that a mob damaged three shops belonging to
entrepreneurs of Chinese descent.

Security was tight and shops remained closed throughout
yesterday, the report said.

In Ende, East Nusa Tenggara, police said 56 people have been
arrested in connection with riots on Feb. 8, in which dozens of
shops were set on fire.

In East Java, the police warned that they would not hesitate
to shoot rioters "who pose a great danger to others".

"Why not (shoot them)? That is justifiable, shoot on sight,"
police spokesman, Lt. Col. Soetrisno T.S., was quoted by Antara
as saying.

He was commenting on the possibility of unrest and rioting
following massive redundancies among the province's workforce.

However, he added that the authorities would always follow the
standard procedures.

Soetrisno said the police were trying to track down people who
spread rumors of bomb scares in East Java.

Rumors of bomb threats, including several department stores in
Malang and Surabaya and a hotel in Sidoarjo, have been
circulating these past few days.

Soetrisno said the rumor-mongers would be charged with
subversion if arrested.

"But of course, this needs thorough investigation. We are
currently still investigating", he said.

These bomb threats, he said, show that there are certain
parties trying to create instability in the province,
particularly prior to the upcoming general session of the
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

"It is still too early for us to name a group. We are trying
our best to identify them," he said.

From Medan, North Sumatra, the provincial Chief of Police,
Brig. Gen. M.A. Sambas, confirmed yesterday that the riot in
Padang Sidempuan last week was sparked by recent price increases.
(21/43/yac/byg)