Pekalongan riot case suspects sent to court

Pekalongan riot case suspects sent to court

JAKARTA (JP): Fourteen of the 29 people detained for rioting
in the Central Java town of Pekalongan last week have already
appeared in court, police said yesterday.

Sergeant Erwin of Pekalongan police precinct told The Jakarta
Post last night that the remaining 15 suspects would be taken to
court soon.

They are charged with crimes such as damaging properties and
disrupting public order.

Erwin said the identity of the five people the local
authorities are about to catch would not be made public until the
police have sufficient evidence to arrest them.

He said that originally 31 people were arrested but two were
released for lack of evidence. He declined to comment on the
eight people who were injured and hospitalized after a scuffle
with security officers.

Police and residents said that normalcy had returned to the
coastal batik town with offices and shops being reopened Friday.

An estimated 1,000 people vandalized 60 buildings, three
houses and one state-owned bank and burned two trucks Wednesday
in Pekalongan, 300 kilometers east of Jakarta.

The target was mainly the property of ethnic Chinese.

The latest mob violence was fueled by the removal of United
Development Party (PPP) banners from the town's streets and
replaced with Golkar banners.

Angry mobs, suspectedly PPP supporters, set fire to a stage to
be used for a music concert featuring renowned dangdut singer
Rhoma Irama Monday.

Rhoma was formerly a PPP supporter but has crossed to Golkar.
PPP politicians accused Golkar and the local government of
illegally campaigning for the May 29 election. (01/imn)