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)