Mob says restaurant a front for prostitution

Mob says restaurant a front for prostitution

TANGERANG (JP): A restaurant manager, his assistant and a
cashier suffered wounds after hundreds of people, including local
residents, stormed the three-story building on Sunday evening, a
police officer said on Monday.

The officer, who asked not to be named, said the attackers,
mostly members of a Muslim group called Hisbullah Front, accused
the owner of Citra Kuring restaurant, which uses its second and
third stories for a dangdut music hall, of operating prostitution
in the building, which is located in the Sastra Plaza shopping
center in the Keroncong subdistrict of Jatiuwung, Tangerang.

He identified those injured in the attack as manager Yogi, 30,
assistant manager Herman, 35, and cashier Eva, 19.

"Herman received a 50-centimeter slash wound believed to have
been caused by a sword, Yogi suffered several bruises and Eva
received a light wound," the officer said.

None of the management or employees of the restaurant could be
reached on Monday for comment.

Jatiuwung Police chief Lt. Budi Hermawan confirmed the
incident and regretted that people used violence to settle their
grievances with the restaurant.

"Whatever their reasons, vandalizing places, such as
entertainment spots, has never been allowed. It's totally against
the law," Budi said, vowing to investigate the case thoroughly.

He did not say if his detectives had questioned or arrested
any of the attackers.

Witnesses said some 200 members of the Hisbullah Front, led by
the group's chairman, Cecep Bustomi, arrived at the restaurant at
about 9 a.m. shouting about the alleged prostitution taking place
in the building.

Dozens of locals joined the group, which brought banners and
delivered speeches in front of the restaurant.

"This is not a restaurant but a place offering immoral things.
The restaurant is just to camouflage the illegal business," one
of the protesters said.

Several minutes later the mob forced its way into the
restaurant as dozens of diners fled in panic.

The mob then began to vandalize the building, breaking mirrors
and items on all three of the buildings floors.

"Manager Yogi and his assistant initially attempted to stop
the people who were running amok," said the officer.

However, he said the mob could not be reasoned with. "They
just beat the two and wounded the female cashier."

The mob left the building after the arrival of dozens of riot
officers from the Tangerang Police.

Such attacks on places of businesses have increased in
frequency across the country since the May 1998 riots.

Following the attack on Sunday, senior members of Hisbullah
Front told the Tangerang authorities to stop the sex business in
the mayoralty, particularly those businesses operating under the
camouflage of legal enterprises.

"If the Tangerang administration fails to keep the
entertainment spots that run immoral businesses in order, we'll
have to act," group member Nasim said.

He cited a number of entertainment places, particularly
karaoke halls in the Pinangsia Lippo Karawaci shopping and office
complex, as examples.

"We are already tired of the Tangerang administration not
paying attention to the presence of these illicit businesses.

"Now many foreigners have invested their money in this immoral
business. We don't want Tangerang, a religious town, to be
damaged by the interests of certain people," Nasim said. (41/bsr)