Tanah Abang area again hit by clashes

Tanah Abang area again hit by clashes

JAKARTA (JP): At least two youngsters were severely injured in
two separate clashes between Betawi (native Jakartan) residents
of Kebon Melati and occupants of the Mess Cendrawasih boarding
house from Irian Jaya in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, yesterday
afternoon.

The first clash began at 4.30 p.m. after Farid, a 19-year-old
Betawi resident, was attacked by an unidentified youth who lives
in the boarding house.

"Farid was parking his motorbike near Jl. Mess (now called Jl.
Pala 5) when he was attacked. His back was badly lacerated when
he was struck with a machete.

"Luckily he managed to escape and reported the incident to
local residents," Abdul Mutalib, 48, said.

The motive for the attack was not clear, but Abdul said that
Betawi and Irianese residents in the area had been involved in an
often bitter feud for a long time.

Jl. Mess is opposite Jl. Kebon Melati III where the boarding
house is located.

Shortly after news of the attack on Farid spread through the
Kebon Melati area, Betawi (native Jakartan) residents in the
area, including teenagers and housewives, thronged to the
boarding house armed with knives and pans and began to throw
stones at it.

While the clash was still going on, another brawl involving
youths erupted on the nearby soccer field.

Raqif, 19, a Betawi youth, was rushed to Mintohardjo Hospital
after being stabbed in the chest with an arrow by an Irianese
teenager.

Chaidir Rohamsyah, 40, said the incident started when a group
of Irianese youths walked onto the field and grabbed the Betawi
youth's football.

The second incident inflamed the anger of the crowd outside
the Cendrawasih boarding house and they began to rain bricks and
other missiles down on the boarding house.

Nearby Jl. K.H. Mas Mansyur resembled a war zone after
Irianese residents in the area retaliated.

"It was truly chaos," Chaidir said.

Two hundred police officers and 300 military personnel were
dispatched to the scene to stop the fighting, but were greeted
with stones thrown by Betawi residents.

The crowd finally dispersed peacefully at 6.30 p.m.

None of the Irianese youths involved in the incidents were
available for comment yesterday.

Part of Jl. K.H. Mas Mansyur was temporarily closed by
security officers during the clash.

Central Jakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Iman Haryatna said at
the scene: "These people are desperate to fight. I do not
understand how small incidents can escalate into serious clashes
like this."

Both groups of residents promised never to fight again after a
similar brawl about a month ago, recalled Iman, shaking his
head.

Iman told reporters that the police were getting tired of the
long-running feud between the two groups in the area and he
promised to bring those responsible to justice.

No arrests had been made by late yesterday evening and police
were still conducting enquiries.

"We'll summon representatives of both groups," Iman said.

Central Jakarta Mayor Andi Subur Abdullah once said that the
mayoralty had discussed the status of the boarding house with the
Irian Jaya provincial administration. Irian Jaya authorities are
partly responsible for the Cendrawasih boarding house which is
home to 300 people from the country's easternmost province.

No final decision has been taken on by the mayoralty on the
status of the troubled boarding house.

Iman said that yesterday's clash took the number of violent
incidents in the area to 15 this year. (edt)