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)