Serial killings are jeopardizing reform: Habibie

Serial killings are jeopardizing reform: Habibie

BANDUNG (JP): President B.J. Habibie said here on Wednesday
that a series of mysterious killings of Moslem preachers and
alleged black magic practitioners in East Java was jeopardizing
the country's move toward democratic reform.

Addressing a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of Youth
Pledge Day, he said the bloodshed, in which more than 150 people
have been killed since August, has spread terror and suspicion.

"I call on people of all levels in society to step up their
alertness and cooperate with the security forces to prevent these
crimes from continuing to disturb the reform process," Habibie
said in a ceremony, held at the Military Police Training Center
in Cimahi, Bandung regency, West Java.

Bands of killers, said to dress in ninja-like black clothing,
have targeted suspected black magic practitioners and Moslem
preachers, and mobs have set upon and lynched people they
suspected of involvement in the killings.

While the President called for an immediate end to the
killings, Cabinet ministers took turns disassociating themselves
from the allegation by Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) chairman Abdurrahman
Wahid that one or more of them masterminded the serial killings.

After Minister of Cooperatives and Small Enterprises Adi
Sasono's statement in his own defense last week, Minister of Home
Affairs Syarwan Hamid denied any complicity in the murders.

"I just wonder... after Adi Sasono denied his involvement,
the allegations were directed toward another Cabinet member, and
so on and so on," Syarwan told reporters after the ceremony.

"It's very illogical to say that I engineered... the
killings." He added that it was the Armed Forces headquarters'
responsibility to stop the murders and conduct investigations
into the matter.

Syarwan challenged Abdurrahman to prove his allegation.

He dismissed allegations there had been a radiogram sent to
related regents by the home affairs ministry, giving instructions
to local government officials to take necessary actions regarding
the killings.

"There has been no radiogram issued by the home affairs
ministry. I'd like to know the content if there is any," he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces Chief
Gen. Wiranto declined to comment on the deadline set by NU that
security apparatus uncover the murders before the end of
November.

"I don't think that I have to comment on the deadline set by
NU as it will only create new problems," he separately told
reporters after the ceremony.

Despite the ministers' denial, Abdurrahman on Wednesday
renewed his allegation of Cabinet members' involvement.

"I remain consistent that Cabinet members and several
'nonstructural officers' were behind the murders," he said in a
written statement, copies of which were delivered to the press
during the launching of NU's Duta Masyarakat daily at the Pulau
Dua Seafood Restaurant in Central Jakarta.

In Surabaya, East Java Police Chief Maj. Gen. Moh. Dayat
defended on Wednesday the Banyuwangi Regent T. Purnomo Sidhik's
decision to compile a list of black magic practitioners.

He said the data was needed to allow security authorities to
evacuate people at risk and defend them against public anger.

East Java Governor Imam Utomo said the local court would try
the 52 dossiers of 200 murder suspects within the next few days.

The killings have reportedly spread to the Central Java town
of Pati, where angry mobs killed two people on Tuesday evening
even though they produced complete identity documents as demanded
by the crowd.

The two victims, Sukarsono of the Dororejo subdistrict in Pati
and Sukardi of the Jembaran subdistrict in Salatiga regency, were
beaten to death by the mobs. The two, according to their
documents, were businessmen. (43/har/aan/imn)