Two killed in Golkar-PDIP clashes in Bali

I Wayan Juniartha and Wahyu Boediwardhana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali

east two people were killed on Sunday in Singaraja, Buleleng, some 100 kilometers north of provincial capital Denpasar, in a series of violent clashes between supporters of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and Golkar Party.

The victims were identified as Putu Negara, 30, and his younger brother Ketut Agustana, 20. Negara was a member of the local Golkar village committee. Their bodies were found lying near the road, a few meters from their home in Petandakan village.

"Apparently, they were mobbed by a large group of people," Buleleng Police chief Adj. Sr. Com. Muhammad Syafei said.

The bloody incident took place at around 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Details of the incident were still sketchy as dozens of officers were still combing the area for evidence and possible suspects.

"Police came across a group of PDI Perjuangan supporters in a nearby food stall. Three of them have been taken down to the station for questioning," said a police source, who declined to be named.

The incident is the latest of three separate clashes that occurred on Sunday.

Early in the morning, hundreds of PDI Perjuangan supporters participated in a sports event to commemorate the Youth Pledge Day. PDI Perjuangan secretary-general Sutjipto was slated to give a speech at the end of the event.

"The first incident took place after several members of PDI Perjuangan's paramilitary wing or satgas, who were on their way to pick Sutjipto up, reported that they were pelted with stones when they were passing in front of the local office of Golkar Party," the source said.

At around 10 a.m., PDI Perjuangan supporters launched a retaliatory attack directed at the Golkar office, setting a car ablaze and damaging the building and several other cars.

At about the same time, a large contingent of PDI Perjuangan supporters stormed a Golkar youth post in Kalibukbuk village and torching a bus belonged to a Golkar member.

Hundreds of police officers immediately rushed to the scenes to contain the incidents. Additional police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) companies were transported from Denpasar and Jembrana to assist local police.

Later in the afternoon, Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Made Mangku Pastika, in an emergency meeting in Denpasar, decided that the Bali Police headquarters would take over the case from the Buleleng Police.

Priority will be given to preventive efforts in order to minimize casualties and damage to property, Pastika said.

"However, I urge the public not to view any necessary legal and law enforcement measures we will take in the future in a biased mind-set of police being against a certain political party. It is not the political party that we will target, but it is the perpetrator(s), whom we will aggressively pursue and investigate," he said.

The probe into the bloody incident will be conducted by a newly established special investigating team led by Sr. Comr. Boy Salamudin.

"I used to be very proud of being a Balinese, now I am truly ashamed," said Pastika, in response to the clashes.

After the meeting, Pastika, along with several high-ranking officers, traveled up north to visit the sites of the clashes.

The northern coastal regency of Buleleng had always been politically the most volatile spot on the island.

Bloody conflicts in Buleleng also took place early in 1999, involving Golkar supporters from the mountainous villages of Cempaga, Sidatapa and Pedawa and PDI Perjuangan supporters from Banjar village. The conflicts claimed nine lives, damaging dozens of houses and forcing hundreds of people to take shelter in the nearby forest.