Rioting continues in Cilacap

By Agus Maryono

CILACAP, Central Java (JP): Hundreds of outraged fishermen went on another rampage here yesterday, vandalizing and looting the houses of fishery bosses while outnumbered troops were instructed to shoot rioters on the spot if necessary.

There were no reports of casualties as of last night.

Thousands of fishermen ran amok in the area Friday morning, the violence subsiding only late that night.

The new wave of rioting began at 7 p.m. yesterday as fishermen began throwing stones at and looting the houses of their bosses, many of whom are Chinese-Indonesians. Other public facilities, such as the South Cilacap Town Hall and a marketplace on Jl. Tidar in Central Cilacap, were also attacked.

The dozens of houses vandalized and looted yesterday were mostly on Jl. Tidar, Jl. Klapa Lima, Jl. Veteran, Jl. Dayung, Jl. Dukuh Baleng and Jl. Panjaitan.

Almost simultaneously, mobs again attacked the Nusantara Fishery Port -- where the rioting first started on Friday -- but were quickly restrained by security forces.

Banyumas Police chief Col. Isnandar, military resort chief Col. M. Noer Muis, Cilacap military district chief Lt. Col. Basuki Kuntadi and Cilacap Police Precinct chief Lt. Col. Andi Lolo were at the scene. Isnandar called on his men to take tough measures, ordering them to even shoot rioters on the spot if necessary.

Basuki said about 80 percent of the families of the area's 200 fishery bosses -- mostly from Bagansiapi-api in Riau -- had left the city by yesterday morning over fears of further violence.

"We heard they have fled Cilacap to Jakarta," he said, expressing regret. He added that many of the families had been residents since the early 1970s.

Andi Lolo said police had arrested 35 rioters so far, 10 of whom were suspected for vandalism. Ten others were released yesterday, while the rest were still under investigation.

Friday's unrest apparently stemmed from anger at Bagansiapi- api groups of fishermen whom were seen as employing unfair fishing practices.

In East Java, sporadic looting that began Friday evening in Situbondo reportedly continued well into yesterday afternoon. The town is 35 kilometers northeast of Bondowoso, where troops clamped down on mobs attacking and pillaging rice mills, shops and plantations on Thursday.

Antara reported yesterday that hundreds of people pillaged a rice mill in Kapongan on Friday, while hundreds of others looted rice, sugar and other basic commodities from a shop in Asembagus.