Seven tried for fatal attack

JAKARTA: State prosecutors asked the Central Jakarta District Court on Tuesday to sentence three defendants to 18 months in jail each and give four others two-year jail terms each for allegedly killing a civilian guard during a riot in August last year.

The riot followed a raid against becak (pedicabs) in Roxy and Grogol, West Jakarta.

Sahadi, a becak driver, and six unemployed men -- Zulkarnaen, Rudiyanto, Suprapto, Sigit Pramonohadi, Ari Kurniawan and Edi Supriyadi -- are accused of causing Matsani's death.

Matsani was in a team of city public order officers that cracked down on becak drivers after the city administration, backed by the police, declared war against them.

The administration insisted on ridding the city of becak in accordance with City Bylaw No. 11/1988, which bans them from operating in the capital.

Governor Sutiyoso had announced in 1998 that becak drivers would be allowed to resume operating in the capital to help them cope with the economic crisis, but he withdrew his statement the following day.--JP