Security beefed up in several cities prior to weekend

Security beefed up in several cities prior to weekend

SURABAYA (JP): Despite officially dismissing rumors of unrest
for the coming Aug. 17 Independence Day celebrations, security
has been beefed up in some cities as military commanders appealed
to community leaders to insure a calm long weekend.

Brawijaya Regional Military Commander Maj. Gen. Djoko Subroto,
who oversees security in East Java, met with 300 Moslem ulemas
here yesterday to ask for their help in maintaining calm and
order.

He called on them to tell their respective communities that
authorities were fully in control of the situation and not to be
agitated by rumors.

Uneasiness resulting from such misinformation could, in fact,
cause tension and fear in neighborhoods, Djoko said.

Security personnel, however, were seen guarding a number of
shopping malls and buildings. People were also increasing
neighborhood watch activities in the evenings.

Earlier in the week, Djoko also met with members of the ethnic
Chinese community here and urged them not to listen to vicious
rumors of impending violence.

Nevertheless, there have been a reported increase in flight
reservations out of Surabaya for the next three days.

An official told The Jakarta Post here that the number of
requests for passports in Surabaya had increased over the last
week to an average of about 400 per day from a previous number of
150 to 200 per day.

Meanwhile in Semarang, Central Java, more security forces were
put on alert to guard the city.

City police chief Col. Soenarko said security had been beefed
up since Wednesday.

He said that since mid-week, the total number of security
personnel in the city had risen from 1,790 to a combined total of
2,050.

"Undercover teams comprised of selected officers have also
been stationed at trouble-prone spots," Soenarko was quoted by
Antara as saying.

Local military commander Lt. Col. Supriyanto called on the
public to also participate in safeguarding their neighborhoods.

"People should remain calm and be alert if they find out
information about a riot," he said.

Shots

Reports of unrest have already surfaced in West Java. Soldiers
had to fire warning shots to disperse hundreds of people late
Wednesday after they looted several Chinese-owned shops and
burned a discotheque and motorcycles in two West Java towns.

In Labuan, 150 kilometers southwest of Jakarta, mobs looted
three shops after a customer argued with a storekeeper over the
price of cigarettes.

Later that evening a mob in the nearby town of Serang burned a
hotel discotheque suspected of harboring prostitutes.

Rioters also burned a minivan and damaged four cars and a
motorcycle. One of the cars belonged to a unit of the Army's
Special Force (Kopassus).

The mobs dispersed only after two alerted platoons of Kopassus
troops approached the site. There were no arrests or reports of
injuries.

Without citing specific numbers, Antara reported that the
holiday resort island of Bali had been "invaded" by Chinese-
Indonesians seeking refuge from possible unrest.

Deputy Governor Ahim Abdurahim said in Denpasar that it was
understandable that people would come to Bali since the island
had been free of unrest.

"For those who feel unsafe in their place of domicile, it
would be natural for them to pick Bali as an alternative place of
residence. This is another impact of Bali's stable and safe
situation," he remarked. (nur/byg)