Night patrols fail to stop killing spree in Banyuwangi
Night patrols fail to stop killing spree in Banyuwangi
SURABAYA (JP): Despite intensive night patrols by residents
and the military repeatedly asserting that it was in control of
the situation, four more people have been killed in the
mysterious East Java murder spree that has claimed more than 100
lives in the past two months.
Sources at the Banyuwangi police precinct said on Thursday
that Sriana, 65, Suparlan, 40, Sanali, 45 and Abdullah, 60, were
killed on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
The four were killed at their respective homes in three
different districts and their mutilated bodies were reportedly
dumped by the killers in the houses' yards.
Two other people in the neighboring Sureh district managed to
escape from the killers as they had been forewarned by their
neighbors.
Many of the victims were Koranic teachers and preachers from
Indonesia's largest Moslem organization, Nahdlatul Ulama.
According to published reports, the latest four victims takes
the toll to 101 in Banyuwangi alone. Killings have also taken
place in nearby areas such as Jember and Pasuruan.
In Jakarta, Minister of Defense/Armed Forces (ABRI) Commander
Gen. Wiranto said on Thursday that a team from ABRI headquarters
had been dispatched to Banyuwangi to investigate the killings.
He told reporters after meeting President B.J. Habibie at
Merdeka Palace that the team was expected to identify whether the
killings were purely criminal acts or politically motivated.
Wiranto admitted the attacks, that originally targeted people
who had been accused of dabbling in witchcraft and then spread to
the Islamic teachers, started in June but only increased
recently.
"It seems that the attacks are not only limited to the alleged
black magic practitioners but have been targeting other people
who are apparently not (shamans)," Wiranto said.
National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Togar Sianipar confirmed
the alleged involvement of four ABRI members in the killings.
He refused to give further details about the military
personnel, saying only that the police were still investigating.
Togar said there were 337 people listed as alleged
practitioners of black magic in the districts of Rogo Jambe,
Kabat and Glagah in Banyuwangi regency. He did not say who made
the list. There are 21 districts in the regency.
He added the police and military were currently sheltering
about 230 people considered to be likely targets of attacks.
On Wednesday, National Police chief Lt. Gen. Roesmanhadi said
his officers discovered that one of the suspects had links to the
outlawed Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).
It has been reported that three people from a subdistrict
military office, a military police officer and an official from
the district office of religious affairs are suspected of being
involved in the killing spree.
The police identified the five after questioning up to 65
suspects on Tuesday. As of Wednesday, a further 72 people were in
police custody for questioning, the report said.
It added that of the 72 in custody, 11 were suspected of
plotting the murders, six of financing them and the remaining 55
of carrying out the actual killings.
Provincial NU leader Hasyim Muzadi said on Wednesday that only
two members of ABRI and a village chief were suspects in the
killings.
He said that he obtained the information about the alleged
involvement of a village chief in the killings from NU's
investigation team while the alleged involvement of the two
military personnel was explained by Brawijaya Regional Military
Commander Maj. Gen. Djoko Subroto on Saturday.
Djoko, however, flatly denied in Kediri on Wednesday evening
any military involvement in the killings.
"It was a slander," Djoko said, adding that the ABRI member
was arrested because of the alleged involvement of his child in
the murders.
He, however, admitted that he had not received a full report
from the police. (nur/byg/emf/prb)