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)