Police arrest suspects in phoney 'revolution'

Jakarta Police arrested on Wednesday two people suspected of organizing a rally to supposedly declare a revolution at the People's Consultative Assembly compound on Jl. Gatot Subroto on Tuesday.

Chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara was quoted by Antara as saying that his men had taken into custody two men, who he referred to only as T and S.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Paiman, who accompanied Makbul, said the police had detained two other suspects in Indramayu, West Java, -- T and CF -- in the same case.

The mastermind of the case, however, is still being pursued.

Makbul further said the whole incident had been a hoax.

"We urge the public not to believe what they read in such pamphlets, especially if a sum of money is promised," he said.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the compound after receiving pamphlets dated May 10 signed by "retired marine Berti Liwoso". The pamphlets promised to pay each person Rp 10 million (US$ 1,081) for attending a declaration of the "Revolution to Benefit the People" on June 1. The money is said to come from founding president Sukarno's "revolution fund".

Besides people from the capital, others traveled from Karawang and Cilacap in West Java, Tegal, Purwokerto and Surakarta in Central Java and Madiun in East Java. Some came as far away as Riau, Kalimantan and West Nusa Tenggara.

Several people realized they had been duped but said they had no money to return home. Jakarta Police provided 12 buses to help some 800 of them return home. --JP