More vendors stand trial

JAKARTA (JP): Four more Tanah Abang Market traders faced the Central Jakarta District Court Wednesday charged with inflicting violence on people and property in the Jan. 27, Tanah Abang riot.

On Tuesday in a separate hearing, four other traders including a minor stood trial at the court on similar charges.

State prosecutor Peter Sambara told the court the defendants were charged under Article 170 of the Penal Code with deliberately inflicting violence on people and causing damage to property.

The defendants in Wednesday's trial were Willem Morgan, 17, Daniel Herman Tanjung, 22, Hadi Subarna, 39, and Erri Suanto, 28.

A fight between hundreds of street traders and city public order officials erupted in Tanah Abang on Jan. 27. Two city buildings and seven cars were set alight.

The fired buildings were the district office and an office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

Police arrested the eight defendants the same day.

The prosecutor told the court the men were watching the fight when they heard a shout, urging people to attack the officials.

Sambara said all four threw stones that caused damage to officials' cars, and joined the mob that attacked the district office. (12)