Police post in Galur attack

JAKARTA (JP): Hundreds of local residents in Galur district, Central Jakarta, destroyed a police post and threw its contents into the Kali Sentiong river yesterday afternoon.

No fatalities were reported as no officers were on duty at the non-permanent police post, but almost all the contents, such as files, traffic equipment and wooden shelves, were lost.

The attack was launched following the death of a local resident, shot in the head by a member of the Johar Baru police subprecinct on the previous evening.

According to City Police spokesman Lt. Col. A. Latief Rabar, the policeman, identified as Chief Sergeant Yuliansyah, led a team at 7 p.m. Wednesday to the subdistrict to follow up reports of a bitter dispute between locals and residents of Kampung Rawa district, on Jl. Galur.

The warning shots fired by the police were ignored, Latief said.

"Due to the large number of residents, the police team failed to disperse the clash and Yuliansyah was overwhelmed by the attackers, who intended to get hold of his carbine," he explained.

Yuliansyah fired his carbine, hitting Chaerul Dasuki, 30, in the head, the police spokesman said.

He added that Yuliansyah and two of the residents, whose identities were still withheld by the police, are being questioned.

The two communities in the area have been involved in many fights. The latest serious clashes were recorded in September and December of last year, leaving two dead, including a woman killed by a stray bullet.

Police and residents said that many ex-prisoners and criminals reside in the two districts, causing round-the-clock tension.

The attack on the police post on Jl. Suprapto yesterday occurred at about 3 p.m.

Members of the Central Jakarta police and military precinct who came to the scene an hour later and residents living next to the police station told The Jakarta Post that in the beginning the angry mob wanted to go to the Johar Baru police precinct on Jl. Tanah Tinggi, which is about three kilometers from their area.

"On their way there, the crowd turned back as they saw a large number of police and military members ready to block them," said a police sergeant.

Fatal shot

Unfortunately, he added, none of the police and military members were assigned to safeguard the Galur police post.

A resident, who refused to give his name, said: "The security members came about an hour after the crowd had vented their anger."

"So, none of the attackers were on the scene when the police arrived," he added.

Earlier, he said, an hour after the clash of the two neighborhood communities and the fatal shot, hundreds of the angry people threw stones and destroyed part of the 12-square- meter police post.

Lt. Col. Imam Basuki, head of the Central Jakarta military office, told the Post at the scene that his office was still investigating the attack.

"I've been informed about the shot last night, but we need to find out the motive behind the attack on this post," Imam said.

He also admitted that a number of ex-prisoners and criminals were believed to take part in the clash Wednesday evening and the destruction of the post yesterday.

Imam, however, refused to comment, saying that he needed to further discuss the incident with the head of the Central Jakarta police precinct. (bsr)