Several cities count the cost of recent riots

Several cities count the cost of recent riots

JAKARTA (JP): As normality returned, several towns shook by
unrest following Megawati Soekarnoputri's defeat in the
presidential election began to count the losses on Friday.

Badung regent I Gusti Bagus Alit Putra said two days of
rioting on Wednesday and Thursday had cost his province billions
of rupiah.

"We did not expect this to happen again. The (unrest) was an
outburst of mass spontaneity," Alit told Antara in Badung, which
abuts Denpasar, the capital of Bali.

Economic activities on the island of paradise were back to
normal as traditional markets, shops and supermarkets reopened.

"We're also beginning to pull back a company of elite Mobile
Brigade Police as calm has resumed here," Bali Police Intelligent
Unit chief Col. M. Sitorus, said.

Riots rocked Bali, the popular traditional political
stronghold of Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI Perjuangan), paralyzing the capital of Denpasar with looting
and arson. Disturbances also erupted in the areas of Badung,
Buleleng and Jembrana regency.

Antara also reported that the Gilimanuk ferry port returned to
normal operations on Friday. Dozens of ships had halted
operations and berthed at the docks of Ketapang port a day
earlier.

The Gilimanuk port connects Bali with the two main ports of
Ketapang in Madura and Banyuwangi, East Java.

Riots in Surakarta, also a political stronghold of PDI
Perjuangan, caused at least Rp 14 billion in losses, Surakarta
regent Imam Soetopo said.

The regent was forced to conduct his duties under a tree after
his office was attacked on Wednesday. Some 2,800 staff of the
mayoralty office worked in temporary shelters.

"I and all subordinates here are always ready to serve the
people. There is no holiday despite the fact that our office was
damaged," Soetopo told The Jakarta Post.

He said he regretted the brutal action. "I'm not sure that
Mbak (Sister) Megawati's supporters ran amok and set all the
buildings on fire. There must be those who do not like the
current government," Soetopo said.

An inmate of Surakarta Penitentiary, identified as Encik,
surrender himself to police after escaping from the prison with
22 others during the Wednesday riot, Surakarta City Police chief
Lt. Col. Roby Kaligis said on Friday. On Thursday police netted
Loso, one of the fugitives at his house in Karanganyar.

"So far police have arrested 33 suspects involved in the
Wednesday fray," said Surakarta Regional Police chief Col. Aris
Sampurno Jati.

Megawati's failure to clinch the presidency led to five
mayoralty legislative council members representing PDI Perjuangan
announcing their retirement.

In Semarang, about 10,000 security troops and civilian militia
members of PDI Perjuangan were deployed to secure the return of
thousands of supporters from Jakarta, according to Central Java
Police spokesman Lt. Col. Ramli El Aris.

"We have secured particularly Java's north coastal lane and
various railway stations as well as bus terminals to prevent any
clashes," he said.

In Batam, Riau Police chief Brig. Gen. M. Arifin Rachim said
that riots had caused at least Rp 337 million in losses. "Eleven
alleged rioters have been netted during the fray," he said.

In Medan, North Sumatra, people started their day as usual
following Megawati's election as vice president.
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