Riot over food price increases hits Bima

Riot over food price increases hits Bima

JAKARTA (JP): Mobs protesting dramatic increases in the prices
of essential commodities attacked shops in Bima, West Nusa
Tenggara, yesterday, police said.

Capt. Bokran of Bima Police told The Jakarta Post by telephone
that the violence began at about 9:30 a.m. and sporadic stone
throwing at shops continued in the evening.

"The target was shops belonging to 'fair-skinned people' and
none of those belonging to the indigenous were attacked," he
said. Asked if he was referring to ethnic Chinese, he replied:
"Yes".

Bokran said crowds gathered on roadsides and security
personnel kept a close eye on them.

Resident sources said up to 60 shops were attacked, two of
which were burned to the ground. Antara quoted local military
chief Col. Soekotjo as saying that "only" two shops burned down
and another seven had their windows smashed.

Capt. Bokran said all shops shut when the riot broke out and
security forces were deployed in the streets.

Sources said there were an estimated 100 families of Chinese
descent in Bima, which has a population of about 500,000.

Bima is a multi-ethnic town. According to official 1980
statistics, Bima's ethnic numbered 366,740. Immigrants consist
mostly of Javanese, Makasarese and Bugis.

According to Soekotjo, order was returned to Bima in the
afternoon after the Army was called in to quell the riot.

He said from the West Nusa Tenggara capital of Mataram that
the riot started after about 100 people staged a protest over
price hikes at the local legislative council office.

On their way home, they pelted shops with stones.

"Two shops caught fire. It started from Toko Arjuna and spread
to the next shop. Fire fighters are still putting out fires this
afternoon," he told Antara.

He dismissed as untrue reports that the crowd also vandalized
cars. He said there were "less than 1,000 people" involved in the
violence.

"There was no looting," he said. "Don't exaggerate it ...
everything is under control and the (Bima) regent talked to
people he gathered in a soccer field."

The incident was the latest to occur following the
skyrocketing prices of essential commodities as the financial
crisis seems to worsen.

Similar violence previously broke out in Pasuruan and Tuban in
East Java; Rembang in Central Java; Ujungpandang in South
Sulawesi and Banawa in Sulawesi.

In the Central Java coastal town of Pekalongan, the
authorities rounded up 21 people Pekalongan People's Committee of
"Sadam Hussein" last Friday on charges of instigating people to
riot.

They were arrested after staging a demonstration over price
hike. The street demonstration had caused tension in the town
which has been occasionally rocked by unrest. (pan)