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)