Street rallies death toll rockets

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