Tension, violence mar New Year's celebrations

Tension, violence mar New Year's celebrations

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Tension and violence marred New Year's
celebrations in several areas of the country, including the
disputed province of Aceh, where at least six people were killed.

Four people were killed in North Aceh, East Aceh and Aceh
Besar on Monday, while two others died on New Year's Eve.

Among the victims was police Chief Sgt. Faisal, who was killed
by gunmen in a market in Alueieputeh, Baktia district, North
Aceh, on Monday.

Two civilians, Usman and Zulfadli, were found stabbed to death
in Cot Guirek village in Lhoksukon, North Aceh.

Three others who were found dead from gunshot wounds in Aceh
Besar and East Aceh have not yet been identified.

Over 900 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the
continuing violence in Aceh in 2000.

In Ambon, the ravaged capital of Maluku, people celebrated New
Year's by firing gunshots into the air. There also were reports
of people using grenades and mortars as "firecrackers".

The area was tense on Sunday night, and Maluku Governor Saleh
Latuconsina called on people to restrain themselves and end the
conflict. No casualties were reported during the celebrations.

In Bali, provincial police were put on alert following a
report that some 200 intruders had arrived in Bali to instigate
riots, and rumors that some 13 spots in Kuta had been targeted
for bomb attacks.

One bomb threat was reported at the Hotel Melia Bali in
Tanjung Benoa on Sunday night, but it proved to be a hoax.

In Bandung, West Java, eight people reportedly were taken to
hospitals on Sunday as hundreds of thousands of people celebrated
the New Year.

Three of the eight suffered eye injuries from exploding
firecrackers, two were admitted to the hospital because of drug
overdoses, another two were injured in car accidents and another
suffered severe cuts. The eight were rushed to Carolus Boromeus
Hospital and Hasan Sadikin General Hospital.

Separately, Pelabuhan Ratu Police Air and Sea Monitoring Unit
chief Sr. Insp. Sudarmo reported that at least six students had
drowned in separate locations in the area since Saturday.

The New Year festivities went smoothly in Batam, Riau, with
hundreds of revelers gathering at several locations in the
territory, including Marina City and Fissabililah Bridge, which
links Batam and Tonton islands.

On Monday, the Batam, Rempang and Galang (Barelang) police
established a coordination with the task forces of several
political parties and social organizations, grouped under the
Batam Communities Communications Forum, to help the police ensure
security at places of worship.

In Surabaya, East Java, heavy rain and cold did little to
hamper the excitement of the New Year, as residents took to the
streets to share their joy by blowing paper trumpets, setting off
firecrackers and dancing in the city's main streets.

Surabaya Police chief Sr. Supt. Suharto said the police
conducted a sweep for sharp weapons and suspicious packages
earlier on Sunday. The police seized some 25 sharp weapons in the
operation.

There was some violence on Sunday, with residents of Sidodadi
village, Balung district, setting fire to a passenger bus, Eka,
plying the Surabaya-Yogyakarta route following an accident in
which a motorcyclist was killed.

Balung Bendo Police chief Sr. Insp. I Putu Sudika said no bus
passengers were injured and the bus driver, identified as
Sunaryo, managed to flee the scene.

In Semarang, Central Java, one person died and eight others
were injured in New Year's Eve traffic accidents in the city of
Kendal, some 30 kilometers from Semarang.

Meanwhile, thousands of revelers gathered at hotels, malls,
churches and mosques, and thousands of others took to the city's
main streets, including Jl. Pemuda, Jl. Pahlawan, Jl.Pandamaran
and Jl. Ahmad Yani, to celebrate the New Year.

In Yogyakarta, there was a report of a suspicious package
allegedly containing two kilograms of explosives placed at the
gates of a textile factory in Gamping, some five kilometers west
of Yogyakarta.

The police Mobile Brigade arrived and secured the area by 1
a.m. on Monday. But it turned out to be a hoax, and the package
only contained dog skins.

Police were kept busy with another report from the Bausasran
business area of Yogyakarta, about a motorcyclist who placed a
suspicious-looking package in a women's dormitory.

But police only found sand and glass fragments in the package.
(23/25/26/50/nur/har/edt/lup/zen/ylt)