Mob attacks kill 21

BANYUMAS, Central Java: Fourteen people have been burned alive and seven more hacked to death by mobs in Cilacap regency over the last seven months.

Cilacap Police chief Supt. Bambang Sudarisman said on Monday that the violence had left 44 people injured, 75 houses gutted and more than 7,000 rubber trees destroyed. Financial losses resulting from the attacks have been estimated at Rp 3.5 billion.

Bambang said the local police were promoting a law awareness campaign to people living in the area in a bid to prevent them from taking the law into their own hands.

"We really hope this measure will be effective. We don't want this to happen again," he said.(45/bby)