No political motives behind Medan riot
No political motives behind Medan riot
JAKARTA (JP): The military said yesterday that the riot at the Tanjung Gusta Prison in Medan Friday, in which six inmates were burnt alive, was not caused by any political or SARA (tribal affiliations, religion, race and societal groups) motives.
"The authorities are still investigating the case, but please do not magnify the separatist issue," the Armed Forces' General Affairs chief Lt. Gen. Soeyono said yesterday after a ceremony in which Maj. Gen. Soetiyoso was installed as Jakarta Military Chief to replace Lt. Gen. Wiranto.
Soeyono was referring to the separatist rebellion in Aceh. Azwani Iwan, alias Iwan Dukun, one of the victims of the riot, was a member of the movement.
Commander of the Bukit Barisan Military in North Sumatra Maj. Gen. Sedaryanto also discounted any political or SARA links to the riot.
"It was a purely criminal matter," said Sedaryanto, adding the authorities are still investigating the case.
No action has yet been taken against those involved in the disturbance.
The riot involving 600 inmates erupted after six inmates, reputed to be the most notorious in the jail, attacked other prisoners for no apparent reason Thursday. To punish the attackers, hundreds of prisoners who had witnessed the assault grabbed the men at 8 a.m. on Friday and threw them into a cell. They then threw mattress and pillows inside, set them on fire and locked the cell's doors. The six men were burnt alive.
The victims were Iwan Dukun, 50, Rahman Toyong, 43, M. Toyib, 37, Syamsul, 35, Tommy, 43 and Faisal, 35.
Iwan, also known as the gang's leader, was in jail for his involvement in the separatist rebellion in Aceh.
Antara reported that Sedaryanto denied the allegations that the riot was linked to the fact that Iwan was a member of the movement.
He also said the authorities are checking reports that Iwan and the other five victims reportedly received special treatment from prison authorities, which included a TV set, cooking utensils and permission to walk around the prison grounds. (lem)