Six arrested over rehab center fire

JAKARTA (JP): Police have arrested six suspects, including a university student, in connection with the arson attack on a Christian-owned complex housing a school of theology and drug rehabilitation and psychiatric centers in Cipayung, East Jakarta.

Police continued to guard the identities of the suspects and motives in Wednesday night's attack on the 2.7-hectare site owned by the Doulos Foundation. Another one of the people arrested was a company employee.

One student died and more than a dozen people were injured.

Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman repeatedly denied the mob attack was connected to religion.

"Neither the suspects arrested nor the arson are connected to religion," said the two-star general, who rushed to the site a few hours after the incident occurred on Wednesday night.

He acknowledged there were signs the attack, which lasted from 8:30 p.m. until 1:30 a.m., was carefully planned.

"The arson was well-planned. I cannot give out more information until the case is fully investigated," Noegroho said.

The fatality was identified as 31-year-old Sariman, a theology student from Bantul, Yogyakarta. His body was covered in gash wounds.

At least 17 other stabbing victims were treated at the Indonesian Christian University (UKI) Hospital, also in East Jakarta.

Noegroho said 236 residents of dormitories in the Doulos complex were evacuated and were sheltered at Jakarta Police Headquarters.

A staff member from the complex, Winnie Rorimpande, told The Jakarta Post that 50 female students of the Doulos School of Theology were offered accommodation at the Ciganjur Muslim boardinghouse in South Jakarta, which was overseen by President Abdurrahman Wahid.

She said there remained about 350 students, drug and mental patients from the complex who needed a place to stay.

"If we fail to find it, we will probably have to stay here near the House of Representatives," she said.

Winnie, along with some 400 Doulos residents and 300 supporters, visited the House on Thursday morning to appeal to legislators and ministers to take immediate action.

An officer said he believed local residents were not involved in the arson attack on the complex, which is located on Jl. Tugu.

It is reached by a narrow lane which can only allow one car to pass at a time.

There were questions about the failure of the security authorities to stop the mob as the compound is located about one kilometer from the Indonesian Military (TNI) Headquarters.

Fire engines were unable to enter the lane and tried to fight the fire with extended hoses.

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Eyewitnesses said about 300 people set the fire, which burned all buildings in the compound, five of the foundation's cars and five motorcycles.

A security guard at the complex, Rony, said he was among 26 security guards on duty when the attack occurred. He said they were powerless to stop the attack.

"At first, about 40 people stormed into the site from the main entrance gate and set alight the work vehicles. They were joined by hundreds later, some of them wearing sarongs and kopiah (traditional hats). Some wore shorts only.

"They were just average people," Rony told the Post at the site.

"They broke through the other gates of the complex and started burning. All 2.7 hectares were burned. The buildings alone cost Rp 3 billion (US$428,570)."

Smoke could still be seen rising from the site, which was strewn with broken glass and charred debris, on Thursday afternoon.

The scene has been secured by at least 40 officers form the Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) unit since Thursday afternoon.

A priest at the complex, Sulaiman, said the theology students were studying for their mid-semester exams when the mob arrived and began the rampage.

"Why did this have to happen?" he asked grimly.

Theology student Neneng Balukh said the group brought kerosene in jerry cans, bottles and buckets.

"They doused buildings and cars with kerosene before setting them on fire," she said.

Head of human resources development at the Doulos Foundation, Andrew Latuhihin, said he considered it a "religious attack".

"People have accused us several times of trying to convert others to Christianity. They have no proof. What they have done is shameful," Andrew said.

"This foundation was established in 1975. Since then, we have never experienced something like this."

An executive of the Defenders of Islam Front (FPI), Husein, denied allegation that FPI personnel involved in the incident and speculated the attack may have been engineered to discredit his organization.

"I was there last night, and I was told that it was the local residents who committed the action," he said by phone.

"Insya Allah (God willing), FPI members would not commit such burning or other destructive actions during the Ramadhan fasting month," Husein said.

"Maybe it's merely a trick to topple us." (ylt/01/05)