Suspected 'ninja' beaten to death in Demak

Suspected 'ninja' beaten to death in Demak

DEMAK, Central Java (JP): A man accused of being a "ninja" was
beaten to death by a mob on Monday afternoon in Ngaluran village
of Karanganyar, bringing the province-wide death toll of people
killed by mobs to 21.

Another suspected ninja beaten on the same day in the same
area was badly injured.

According to Karanganyar district chief Subroto, the two men
were both mentally ill.

He identified the dead man as Suyitno of Gajah Demak village.
The man who was injured is still unidentified, Subroto said on
Tuesday.

"It's clear to us that the two men were not 'ninjas' but
mentally ill people hanging around the village," Subroto said.

According to Central Java Police chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi, the
police have recorded at least 39 victims of mob rule.

Of that number, 21 were executed by the mobs. Some of the
victims were undressed and burned alive by the crowd, Nurfaizi
said.

"We cannot let these kinds of circumstances continue," the
two-star general told reporters Monday evening.

The latest wave of mob attacks against suspected "ninjas" in
the province occurred last Saturday when seven people were killed
by mobs in separate incidents.

They were two youths who were beaten to death in Pati, a man
who was killed in Karanganyar, an unidentified man killed in
Tegal, and three employees of Jakarta-based PT Astra Credit
Company who were beaten to death in Pemalang.

The "ninjas", so dubbed because of their black clothing and
their stealth, are being sought for the murders of about 180
people. The murders were first reported in September and most of
the victims were initially in East Java.

Saying that police were too slow in responding to the murders,
the mobs began to attack strangers they suspected of being
killers targeting religious leaders.

According to Nurfaizi, in their attempt to maintain security
in their neighborhoods, many residents in the province have
overreacted to the rumors of "ninjas".

"Their security system was exaggerated and uncontrollable.
They do not even have a proper plan. People should also have to
obey the existing laws without conducting such mob rule," the
officer said. (har/bsr)