Jakartans told to work for religious harmony

Jakartans told to work for religious harmony

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho
Djajoesman urged city residents on Wednesday to work together for
religious harmony and not resort to violent means to end
disputes.

"Any religion should not be used as a reason for inciting
chaos and destruction, anywhere in the capital or outside.

"I urge all city residents to stop burning and hurting people
in the name of religion. It causes us great pain to see what is
happening to this capital," Noegroho said on the sidelines of a
formal meeting with Muslim religious leaders at Jakarta Police
Headquarters.

He was referring to widespread vandalism in Bekasi, some 30
kilometers east of Jakarta, on Tuesday night, which began when
about 500 Bekasi residents set a house on fire. The house owner
claimed to be a prophet.

The unrest spread and Bekasi Police were stretched in
controlling thousands of residents who rampaged on Tuesday night,
setting fire to buildings in three different areas of Bekasi, the
city police spokesman said.

Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said on Wednesday that the public
should not assume the police would be lenient in handling unrest.

"If we have to implement discipline, even if things are at
their worst, we will. We plan to take the strictest measures
possible if such occurrences are repeated again."

At about 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, some 500 people set fire to the
home of Fianus Edi, 53, in Srengseng village, Sukamulya, in Suka
Tani, Bekasi.

"The local residents became angry when Fianus went around
telling people that he was a Rasul (prophet). So they burned his
home down. Losses are estimated at Rp 300 million (US$42,860),"
Zainuri said.

An hour later, some 3,000 local residents set fire to a hotel
and three motorcycles, as well as vandalizing 18 foodstalls on
Jl. Citarik Raya, which straddles Bekasi and Karawang regency.

"It took three fire engines to put out the fire. There were no
casualties. The local residents got angry as they suspected that
the 18 foodstalls and Hotel Sukarat were fronts for
prostitution," Zainuri said.

At about 11 p.m., some 1,000 local residents in Lemah Abang
subdistrict, Bekasi, burned four food stalls and vandalized three
others which they believed were places of prostitution.

The vandalism occurred on Jl. Raya Lemah Abang in Tanjung Baru
village, Lemah Abang.

"Local residents felt they had protested long enough. So they
just burned the place," Zainuri said. (ylt)