Riots Again In Djakarta

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31588, 27 January 1968, Page 13

Riots Again In Djakarta

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) DJAKARTA, January 26. Heavily-armed Indonesian troops guarded Chinese shops in Djakarta’s business centre today after riots there last night in which several Chinese were badly injured.

The riot, involving troops of the crack Army paracommandos, coincided with students’ demonstrations against high rice prices which today entered their fifth day.

The civil unrest caused the Acting President, General Suharto, to say that he would take firm action against persons trying to disturb public order.

Reports from Bandung, West Java, said that students, who have been conducting their own series of demonstrations there this week, yesterday increased their protest and plastered shops and cars with paint as they marched through the city streets in their hundreds. Last night’s brawl in Djakarta's Chinatown was after an incident last Monday in which an army paracommando was beaten up by five Chinese who accused him of extortion. Commandos yesterday retaliated by ransacking shops and attacking Chinese with belts and knives. Three police vans arrived to take away the injured and the Djakarta garrison spokesman, Lieutenant-Colonel Wirjadi, said that some Chinese were badly hurt, although none were killed. He added that the five Chinese involved in last Monday's incident had been arrested. In separate developments yesterday garrison troops also fired into the air to disperse several hundred students who smashed motorcycles in the Chinese quarter. Students were back on the streets today in central Djakarta's Freedom Square chalking slogans on passing cars, criticising Parliament and protecting against high rice prices.

General Suharto was today quoted by Antara news agency as saying that the student demonstrations had political not economic motives. He said political efforts to disturb public order would be firmly dealt with and the ringleaders investigated. He added that the present rice supply was sufficient to last until March and sharply rebuked students for causing traders to hoard rice through their action. “We should check such a deplorable situation,” he was quoted as saying.