Two arrested for brawling

Two arrested for brawling

JAKARTA (JP): Police have formally charged two men for
possessing sharp weapons during Sunday's sporadic brawls between
residents of two districts in South Jakarta's Bukit Duri area.

City Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang yesterday said the
two, identified only as Wn, 39, and Nd, 28, were caught during
the brawls with sharp weapons in their possession.

"They will be at least charged under Article 2 of the 1951
Emergency Law Number 12 for illegally carrying sharp weapons," he
said.

The article carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail.

Wn, Nd and three other men were detained by police at the
South Jakarta Police Precinct after the brawls. They were
initially questioned for their roles in the brawls, Aritonong
said.

The other three, who were still in police custody, would be
released later if there was no evidence to charge them, the
officer said.

The brawls took place over several hours from 10 p.m. Sunday
following a heated dispute over an afternoon soccer match between
the teams of the two districts, he said.

Five people received bullet wounds in the leg when police
tried to break up the fighting. Aritonang defended the police use
of firearms, saying the shots were not actually aimed at the
victims. (cst)