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)