Tale of two discos

CIREBON, West Java: The Cirebon Regency Office gave its blessing to the opening of the Papillon Discotheque and Billiard in Indramayu, 65 kilometers southwest of the city, just a week after a similar club was ransacked by a mob.

Antara reported that regency secretary Rohimat said at the ceremony to inaugurate Papillon on Wednesday that the authorities welcomed the establishment of the facility to enhance the city's tourist industry, which creates jobs and generates income for the administration through taxes and levies.

Local residents earlier objected to the presence of the discotheque in their midst because it is located near a pesantren (Moslem boarding school), a hospital and a cemetery.

Earlier in the week, hundreds of youths attacked a restaurant in Indramaya that had been operating as a discotheque and a karaoke club. The youths first pelted the establishment with rocks, but later forced their way into the place and looted equipment worth Rp 60 million. (emb)