Maumere still tense after incident

Maumere still tense after incident

JAKARTA (JP): The town of Maumere on the East Nusa Tenggara island of Flores was still tense yesterday following a violent demonstration which left at least one person killed, residents said.

Groups of people were seen gathering in some places in the town as security authorities reinforced their presence following Friday's protest over a church harassment case.

The Maumere market was unusually quite, students were away from schools and shops were closed.

"People from outside the town came in trucks in a show of support for the demonstration," a Maumere resident told The Jakarta Post by telephone.

The incident occurred while hundreds of people were protesting a religious harassment case, in which prosecutors demanded a three-and-a-half-year sentence for a Moslem accused of disrupting a Catholic service in December.

Residents of the predominantly Roman Catholic town, upset with the light sentence, vandalized the Maumere district court building, set fires to cars and motorcycles and ransacked several houses.

An officer on guard at the Maumere military district headquarters, Second Sgt. Usman, told the Post that the situation was "under control."

"We are checking on the damage caused by the rioting. So far there are no more reports on the number of casualties," he said when asked if the number of fatalities had risen.

A journalist from Pos Kupang newspaper said that reporters were not being allowed to see the six people reportedly injured in the incident and currently in hospital.

On Saturday, the military called in scores of its members to reinforce security amid fears that more rioting would erupt. (yac/imn/pan)