Rumors of riot plague Bandung and Pontianak

JAKARTA (JP): Fear of unrest gripped Bandung and the West Kalimantan capital of Pontianak yesterday but no violence was reported.

A curfew was imposed in Pontianak with authorities ordering people to stay indoors between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. as tension lingered after recent ethnic clashes.

In Bandung, a crackdown on illegal vendors in the city square triggered commotion yesterday morning when their hysterical screams scared away thousands of shoppers.

The shoppers thought a riot had erupted after days of rumored rioting in Bandung, Indonesia's fourth largest city of about three million people.

Malls and shops in the city center closed yesterday as hundreds of evicted vendors massed on roadsides near the square. Riot police were on the streets.

Dozens of public order officials in yellow fatigues evicted about 150 vendors who occupied the busy town square at 9 a.m. The vendors screamed for help when their merchandise was seized. Others fought to save their belongings.

While no casualties were reported, the commotion forced major shops to close for the day for fear the incident would develop into a riot despite the authorities' assurances that there was nothing to worry about.

Hundreds of shoppers in King's Mall, one of the city's largest shopping centers, jostled their way out through emergency exits, Antara reported.

"An explosion in King's Mall worsened the panic," a shopper said. The police said they had seized some fire crackers.

Major unrest has been rumored in Bandung and several West Java towns. Anonymous leaflets distributed on the weekend threatened to turn Bandung into "a sea of fire", particularly Chinese and Christian properties.

Hundreds of roadside vendors gathered in main streets near the square under the watchful eye of the authorities, who managed to restore calm.

Chief of the West Java military command Maj. Gen. Tayo Tarmadi said last night the authorities would take harsh measures against people who stir unrest.

"People should not be surprised if the authorities take a stern action against perpetrators," he told journalists.

City police chief Col. Erwin Mapaseng and military chief Lt. Col. Osaka Meliala said Bandung was under control.

"People were so tense that even an exploding fire cracker could trigger panic," Erwin said.

The city government has banned vendors from the square and nearby streets to make the area "green, flowery and clean".

Armen Efendi, a vendor, said the traders had long asked the city government to let them operate in main streets near the square for just this Idul Fitri holiday season.

Tension reportedly remained high in the West Kalimantan capital of Pontianak yesterday because of clashes between the indigenous Dayak people and migrants from Madura.

Pontianak mayor R.A. Siregar asked townspeople to stay off the streets between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. for security reasons, Suara Pembaruan reported yesterday.

Local authorities are planning to seize sharp weapons from people in streets and public places. This comes after a gang of about 40 people attacked a foundation last week that runs Catholic schools, houses and social facilities.

News about the rampage has caused unrest in Sungai Jawi, Kota Baru, Sepakat and Parit Pangeran in Pontianak and Batu Layang and Tugu Katulistiwa in Siantan.

The gang, whose identity remains a mystery, has waged a terror campaign, threatening to burn more buildings and torture people.

Their threats have forced many Pontianak residents to flee the city for refuge with relatives in other towns, the report said.

Five died and 21 went missing in the Dec. 30 riots in Sanggau Ledo. The Pancur Kasih Foundation in Siantan Tengah near Pontianak was also attacked last week.

Unconfirmed reports said that Maduranese had attacked the house of an official in Kuala Mempawah and three houses of Dayak tribespeople in Antibar subdistrict, 70 kilometers from Pontianak.

Meanwhile, prosecutors in the West Java town of Tasikmalaya have arrested a man, identified as Agt, on suspicion of inciting the well-documented Dec. 26 religious and ethnic riots in the small town.

The chief of the West Java prosecutors office, M. Adenan, said the arrest was made after a month-long investigation.

People can be sentenced to death for inciting public unrest under the subversion law. (ahy/01/pan)