Street rallies death toll rockets

JAKARTA (JP): The government's latest call for peaceful and orderly campaigning fell on deaf ears here yesterday as six people died in traffic accidents while United Development Party (PPP) supporters' convoys ruled the streets.

The fatalities pushed up the campaign death toll to at least 55 since April 27. Most died in traffic accidents.

President Soeharto reprimanded the three parties' leaders Tuesday for the increasing violations of election rules. He urged party leaders to control their supporters. The election rules ban street rallies.

City police said the six that died yesterday were between 12 and 19 years old. Four of them were school students.

Hari Mulyono, an 18-year-old student of Rawasari, Central Jakarta, and his schoolmate Ari Suhedi, 17, died after they crashed their motorcycle on Jl. Pramuka, Central Jakarta.

Hendrik, 15, of Cibitung, West Java, fell as he tried to get off a truck. He was run over by a passing truck on Jl. Cut Mutiah, Bekasi.

Ilman, 19, of Semanan, West Jakarta, Sutisna, 12, of Sukabumi, West Java, and an unidentified person were also killed after falling from vehicles in the street rallies.

As if to add insult to injury, yesterday's rallies were marred with sporadic clashes involving PPP supporters and security officials.

A score of the Moslem-based party's young supporters hurled stones at security officials who barred them from entering Jl. Matraman Raya in East Jakarta.

City police spokesman Lt. Col. Edward Aritonang said that a misunderstanding had caused the party supporters to attack the Ciracas police precinct office and two patrol cars. Deputy chief of the police precinct Capt. Titi suffered a head wound.

PPP supporters fought residents at a military housing complex in Pos Pengumben, West Jakarta. Security officials were called in to break up the fight.

No arrests were reported following the incidents.

Violence

In Temanggung, Central Java, the PPP's supporters attacked government offices, shops, churches and other buildings, cars and burned down Golkar flags during a long march from Parakan district.

The 10-kilometer procession, which involved some 6,000 participants in white clothes, was stopped after the PPP local branch decided to cancel campaigning in protest of "unfair treatment imposed on them by security authorities". Some branch officials complained that security authorities had beaten their supporters in the previous rallies.

A group of marchers broke away from the band and started throwing stones at a district office building, a nearby building owned by the local Family Welfare Movement (PKK) organization and another owned by state telecommunications company PT Telkom.

The mob shifted its target to the Parakan and Kedu police precinct buildings, two churches and another government office.

Witnesses said no troops or police appeared to stop the riots. Some 150 security officials were eventually called only after the angry mob was about to reach Temanggung.

The PPP crowd were pushed back to Parakan, but they then ransacked dozens of shops and a private bank office on their way back home.

Kedu police chief Col. R.E. Rustandi refused to comment on the rampage, the second there in as many months.

Temanggung district military commander Lt. Col. Djoko Purwoko regretted the violence. "They (PPP activists) have promised not to destroy anything during their rallies. Why did they do this?" he said.

Deputy secretary of the local PPP branch, Sofirun, shared his grief. He said the branch office would consider lifting the campaign boycott.

Meanwhile, leaflets in support of an alliance between the PPP and ousted leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) Megawati Soekarnoputri were distributed in street rallies in major towns across Java yesterday.

In Jakarta, a number of people on Jl. Dr. Sahardjo in South Jakarta distributed copies of placards slamming the government ban on pictures and banners portraying the alliance.

In Yogyakarta, several motorcyclists placed small banners in support for the Mega-bintang alliance. The same posters also appeared in East Java cities of Surabaya, Malang and Sidoarjo.

The government has banned banners and flags suggesting an alliance between Megawati and the star-symboled PPP. (23/38/01/05/cst/amd)

Violence -- Page 4