Praya – Some 1,000 people held a demonstration to demand annulment of the relocation of the city transportation terminal on Saturday (15/3) in Praya, Central Lombok. In that action, the crowd damaged the new terminal, broke garden lights, flower pots along the roads, window panes of the Central Lombok Regent's Office, and damaged the house and shop of the contractor involved with the terminal. So far there has been no loss of life.
The Commander of the Miltary Resort Command 162/Wirabhakti, Col.(Inf) Iping Somantri, with permission from the Comander of Military Region IX/Udayana, Maj.Gen. Abdul Rivai, by telephone explained to journalists in Denpasar that the riot had already started at 09.30 Central Indonesia Time. The crowd consisted of 300 city transportation drivers and their sympathizers. "Because the time coincided with market day, there were about 700 onlookers. So the total was about 1,000 persons," thus the clarifiaction by the Military Resort Commander. When contacted, he was sided by the West Nusa Tenggara Area Police Chief Col.(Pol) Muji Santosa. The Military Resort Commander also reported that in that action no physical clash took place between the demonstrators and the security forces.
After doing damage at the terminal, thus Iping Somantri, the crowd then moved to the Central Lombok Regent's Office, yelling demands that operation of the new terminal must be annulled. Along the way, the crowd wrecked garden lights and flower pots. "They also broke window glass at the regent's office," said the Resort Commander. But apparently at that time the crowd had no intention of meeting the Central Lombok Regent.
The crowd then moved towards the house of the contractor of the terminal, Kotong. They damaged the house and horse stall owned by Kotong. "Besides that they broke the windows of the passenger car owned by Kotong," clarified the Military Resort Commander, while adding that the crowd also wrecked the shop owned by Kotong.
According to Iping Somantri, the crowd started to be put under control around 12.30 Central Indonesia Time after two platoons of police and one company of the Armed Forces were deployed on location. The security forces needed about one hour's time to get to Praya which is some 30 kilometers distant from Mataram.
The Resort Commander said that the security forces until this moment have not detained perpetrators of the riot. "But there certaily will be an investigation," he said.
Refuse to move
Further, commander Iping Somantri said that last Saturday about 100 drivers had in fact already held a demonstration at the office of the Central Lombok Regent. "But at that time they did not want to meet the local District Secretary. So there was no meeting," he said.
Fundamentally, the city transportation drivers reject the move of the terminal away from the center of Praya. They are of the opinion that the move will cause them loss, because it is far from the market. "So the old terminal was closed officially about two weeks ago. Then the new terminal was put into operation. But the market has not yet been moved," clarified Iping Somantri. At the time the old terminal was closed, signs of protest on the side of the drivers were starting to be seen.
For the time being, said the Military Resort Commander, the local district government has put the old terminal back into operation. "While the new terminal is being repaired, we open the old terminal until repair of the new one is finished," he said.
Until 20.00 local time yesterday, the situation in Praya was safe, but security agents are still on guard around Edi's house on Jalan Sudirman.
To journalists, the Regent of Central Lombok, H Ircham, said that for the time being the old terminal will be opened again, awaiting support facilities at the new terminal. The regent is regretful and concerned about this incident.
"We are always ready to receive citizens who want to convey problems in a reasonable way, not by yelling in the streets," said Ircham.