Soesilo Soedarman says situation under control

Soesilo Soedarman says situation under control

JAKARTA (JP): The government has complete control of security
despite the recent spate of mob violence, Coordinating Minister
for Security and Political Affairs said yesterday.

Soesilo made the claim after a routine meeting with officials
under his coordination less than a week after a major riot
claimed at least 123 lives and left extensive damage in
Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.

"It's true that violence has broken out in several areas but
remember that Indonesia is a vast country, which is generally
safe," Soesilo told journalists.

The government, he said, was deeply concerned about the riots'
fatalities and destruction.

Most riots were triggered by clashes between Golkar and United
Development Party (PPP) supporters during their street rallies.

Soesilo said he was aware that many people would laugh to hear
him say the situation was "safe and under control" because he
repeated it every time he came out of the conference room.

"People will doubt my statement because they know unrest has
happened. My children often tease me because I use the phrase
time and again," he said with a grin.

Soesilo said that some people wanted to hear that Indonesia
was politically unstable and the situation was out of control.

"If there is chaos, who wants to invest in Indonesia? There
are people who want to see this situation," he said.

Soesilo called on the public to be wary of people who intended
to exploit race, religion and other sensitive issues to divide
the nation.

Meanwhile in Surabaya, three unidentified people fire-bombed
an unguarded polling station in the Petemon western suburb.

Eyewitnesses said the three people on two motorbikes threw a
molotov cocktail at the polling station on a 200-square-meter
vacant lot at about 10 a.m.

The lot is in a crowded residential area. Residents put out
the fire before it got to nearby houses. The three people fled.

Residents said the attack was "daring" because it had occurred
when people were already out and about in the residential area,
where the largest alley was only two meters wide.

Military and police officers were tight lipped about the
incident. Armed Forces personnel quickly cordoned off the area.

East Java military chief Maj. Gen. Imam Utomo said that 9,000
of the 53,000 polling booths across the province were
"vulnerable".

The vulnerable booths, he said, were mostly in former
strongholds of the Indonesian Communist Party, which was outlawed
for its involvement in the 1965 coup attempt.

He said the military was making an all-out effort to guarantee
safety during the election.

Rumors of imminent riots persisted throughout yesterday in
Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city. Riot police were on
full alert in Tunjungan Plaza, Pasar Turi, Surabaya Plaza and
other business districts.

Armored vehicles were on some main streets. Many shops were
closed as early as 1 p.m.

At the Teachers' Training and Education Institute's Surabaya
campus, police dispersed about 100 students demonstrating their
plan to boycott today's election.

The members of the Golput Students Movement displayed banners
criticizing the election and the government.

A truckload of police entered the campus and dispersed the
crowd. There were no immediate reports of arrests although
political activities have been banned for a week before election
day. Similar demonstration was held in Yogyakarta. (pan/nur/23)