Islamic school denies involvement in Puncak riot

Theresia Sufa, The Jakarta Post, Bogor

The Darul Huda Islamic boarding school in Cilember, Bogor, denied on Sunday that any of its students initiated the attack on hotels and suspected brothels in Cipayung, in the mountainous Puncak resort, on Saturday night.

"All the 60 Muslim students were here last night, conducting a prayer when the riot happened. Three police officers even joined us," said the son of the school chief, Cecep Imron.

One of the students, Ibrahim, complained that local residents often blamed them whenever a riot occurred.

"We are not provocateurs. Perhaps the locals did it."

Around 300 angry people, armed with sticks and Molotov cocktails, began to set fire to several hotels and seriously vandalized brothels in Cipayung at 9 p.m. on Saturday. The riot paralyzed traffic connecting Jakarta and Bandung for over two hours while state-owned electricity company PT PLN shut down its supply causing total darkness during the riot under the heavy downpour.

Bogor Police deputy, Comr. Eddy Tambunan, said 40 people were arrested for attacking the hotels and looting belongings.

The riot, the second after similar chaos in 1998, terrified 57 refugees from Iraq and Afghanistan, who are staying at Sulanajana hotel. They also lost some of their belongings including a television set, VCD players, cell phones and US$1,200 in cash.

"This is definitely not the work of Muslims. Muslim people will definitely not commit such action," groaned Ahmad Habib, an Iraqi refugee.

The Sulanajana hotel manager, Ruslan, said the mob began to attack the hotel by throwing stones at 9 p.m.

"When I saw the mob, I quickly brought the refugees out through the back door and hid them in the garden," he said.

Locals admitted that they were afraid that such unrest would continue in the future should the police fail to take firm action against the attackers.