Police arrest suspects in phoney 'revolution'

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