Hostile neighborhoods clash again, one killed
JAKARTA (JP): High hopes for a lasting settlement to the long- running hostilities between two warring neighborhoods in Central Jakarta were dashed again on Friday and Saturday nights when renewed fighting erupted.
A resident of Menteng Jaya was killed and another wounded in the latest brawl, which took place from 8 p.m. on Saturday to 5 a.m. on Sunday, and at least 20 houses in Menteng Jaya were set ablaze by molotov cocktails, allegedly thrown by residents of the neighboring Manggarai subdistrict.
The fatality was identified as 40-year-old Arsamadi. He died of severe stab wounds to his stomach and back, while another resident identified as 19-year-old Jaelani was injured after being shot in his right temple.
Jaelani was transferred to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta on Sunday morning from Agung hospital in South Jakarta after his condition began to deteriorate.
On Sunday afternoon dozens of residents of Menteng Jaya were seen evacuating their properties as they predicted that another "war" would take place as soon as all of them realized that one of the residents had been killed during the latest brawl.
The situation in the neighborhood was still tense last night and male residents were seen on the alert, arming themselves with sharp weapons and wooden sticks.
"I'd do better by moving to my relatives' house in Cibubur in East Jakarta than staying here. These brawls drive us crazy," Mahmudin, of the residents, said.
She said men, both young and old, had been preoccupied with thoughts of revenge against the residents of Manggarai.
Mahmudin's house was not burned as it is located far from the railway tracks which separate Menteng Jaya and Manggarai.
Residents whose houses were burnt took shelter in nearby vacant shops on Jl. Tambak, security posts or mosques.
"Most of us were sleeping when the latest brawl erupted so that we could only save a small amount of our belongings," Roni said.
Pratiknyo, 56, admitted that she managed to save only two pans as she was woken when fire had already destroyed her house's roof.
"I don't have anything now, this is all I got out," she said, pointing at the two pans.
Tears
Struggling to restrain tears, she said that she did not know what to do or where to go as she lived with her three teenage sons, who were busy preparing further revenge attacks with their neighbors.
Until the news was reported no policemen or soldiers were seen posted in the neighborhood.
On Friday night at least another 10 houses were set ablaze by Molotov cocktails as residents of Menteng Jaya subdistrict and Manggarai subdistrict squared off.
At least 20 residents of nearby Pegangsaan subdistrict and a fire fighter, identified as Widodo, were injured by shots from air rifles, Antara news agency reported.
Teddy, a resident of Pegangsaan, was stabbed in the stomach in the fracas.
It was unclear what caused the resumption of the hostilities.
Residents of the two areas began stoning each other at 10 p.m.
The 10 houses in Pegangsaan caught fire after the rival residents lobbed several Molotov cocktails into the neighboring area.
Fire also damaged parts of four other houses.
Officers from the Central Jakarta Fire Department said they encountered problems in extinguishing the blaze because the houses were built close together.
They also admitted to being afraid to immediately proceed because the residents were shooting at each other with air rifles.
Eleven fire crews finally managed to extinguish the fire early on Saturday.
The situation remained tense on Saturday afternoon but only a few police officers were on patrol. Stones and wooden sticks were scattered on the street.
Residents blocked Jl. Tambak near the burned houses and asked passersby for donations for the fire victims.
On Friday, at least 25 housewives from Menteng Jaya visited the National Commission on Human Rights to seek help in solving the chronic problem.
They expressed their fears over living in an area marked by constant hostilities, even though some of the women had mothers- in-law living in the rival subdistrict.
Commission members M. Salim and Soegiri promised to summon residents from the two subdistricts before visiting the areas.
A series of major brawls took place in September and claimed the lives of two men.
In a bid to solve the problem, Governor Sutiyoso has proposed resettling residents of the two subdistricts in other areas, or sending them back to their hometowns.
Residents attempted a reconciliation in October, but the truce was brief. (jun/emf)