'No provocateurs' in Semarang clash

'No provocateurs' in Semarang clash

SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): Chief of Diponegoro Military
Command, which oversees Central Java, Maj. Gen. Bibit Waluyo
ruled out on Monday the possibility that people had masterminded
a clash between supporters of Golkar and the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) in Semarang on
Sunday.

Bibit said after installing the new chief of Wirastrama
military overseeing Surakarta and its four neighboring regencies,
Col. Heri Sudibyo, that he had yet to find evidence that
provocateurs were involved in the Semarang violence, in which two
people were injured and 10 vehicles burned.

"The incident stemmed from a misunderstanding between the two
parties," Bibit said in an attempt to play down the brawl, the
latest of a series of clashes between party supporters that have
rocked the province ahead of the June 7 elections.

The violence erupted when a group of PDI Perjuangan supporters
demanded the release of a friend who was reportedly being held
captive in a Golkar branch office in the provincial capital on
Jl. Veteran. The Golkar supporters allegedly took the PDI
Perjuangan activist, identified as Joko Maryanto, hostage and
stabbed him because of an offensive remark he made.

Another PDI Perjuangan supporter, Sumaryono, went to the
Golkar office to negotiate his release. But he was stabbed before
he could talk to those present.

The angry PDI Perjuangan crowd attacked the office and set
alight seven motorcycles and three cars belonging to Golkar
supporters in retaliation for the stabbing. Security troops were
called to prevent the clash from escalating and evacuate the
Golkar supporters.

The clash broke out just hours after civilian security
personnel of all parties contesting the polls made a peace
accord.

Bibit suggested on Monday that local leaders of the two
parties call a truce as soon as possible to prevent the conflict
spilling over into other parts of the province.

"Never sow hatred and desire of vengeance. I beg for
cooperation with all parties because we, the security
authorities, cannot work alone," Bibit said.

Governor Mardiyanto also called on the conflicting parties to
settle their dispute through deliberation.

"They are brothers, so a family-like way of settlement is
preferable. It would be great if both of them could understand
the importance of unity," Mardiyanto said.

However, he said it was up now to the conflicting parties
whether to pursue a legal settlement or an out-of-court
arrangement. "The violence was criminal in nature," he said.

The provincial police chief, Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi, said the
police were investigating the case.

Unfair takeover

In Jakarta, Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung suspected that
violence against his party depicted an unfair attempt at a power
takeover by certain parties.

He was commenting on a series of hostile receptions at the
party's functions across Java recently. Akbar reportedly last
escaped being ambushed by a group of people wearing attributes of
PDI Perjuangan and the National Awakening Party (PKB) while on
party business in Jember, East Java, on Sunday. A helicopter was
used to remove him from the danger of possible attack.

"Those who want to take over, please do it in a fair way. If
they use violence before assuming power, I don't know what would
happen if they realized their goal," Akbar said at a party
function in Penggilingan, East Jakarta, on Monday.

Akbar, who began his new life as an ordinary man on Monday
after resigning as minister/state secretary, said Golkar would
support whoever won the general election, provided victory was
achieved in a peaceful and fair manner.

"We don't want to see people and national unity sacrificed,"
he said.

Golkar, the ruling party, has become the target of criticism
for upholding the New Order authoritarian regime under Soeharto
and allowing corruption, collusion and nepotistic practices to
prevail in the country the past three decades.

Akbar suggested that his party supporters practice restraint,
but hinted that their patience had a limit.

Attacks on Golkar did not stop on Monday when dozens of
unidentified people stole and burned down Golkar flags in West
Nusa Tenggara. The incident took place on Jl. Bung Hatta and in
Dasan Agung subdistrict in the provincial capital of Mataram and
in Telagawaru village in West Lombok regency.

Head of Golkar's Mataram branch, Ruslan, said he suspected
rival parties were behind the insult.

In Palu, Central Sulawesi, the provincial election committee
found only 224 out of 717 legislative candidates had submitted
the required documents.

Deputy chairman of the committee Usman Sondang said most of
the legislative candidates did not attach photographs, original
documents or include signatures of their chairpersons.

Usman said the committee dropped the nomination of 45
legislative candidates due to technical problems. Thirteen of
them came from the Indonesian Syarikat Islam Party.
(29/38/44/har/amd)