On January 27 thousands of street vendors attacked and set fire to the Tanah Abang sub-district offices (kecamatan). They also set fire to two vehicles owned by the sub-district Tramtib (Ketenteraman and Ketertiban) and four kecamatan vehicles.

The riot began after a conflict erupted between the street venders and Tramtib (local security) officials which according to a number of vendors was caused by the Tramtib officials "over acting". When the Tramtib officers tried to escape the disturbance, a vendor named Ade (17) was run over and is now being treated at the Sakit Pelni hospital. At the time, the vendors believed that he had been killed. By afternoon the crowd had reached around 600 people plus large numbers of Preman reaching some 4,000. They moved o to the Kecamatan offices (around 500 meters away). They entered the offices, throwing plastic bags filled with petrol then set them alight.

Around 300 soldiers from the Central Jakarta Kodim 0501 arrived with the assistance of hundreds of police officers and anti-riot police from Polda Metro Jaya.

Following a fight between around 100 members of two rival gangs (two gangs allegedly control the markets, Hercules and Yus). in the Tanah Abang markets on January 9, rumors have been circulating that members of a gang known as the "Hercules group", frequently mentioned the name of Kopassus and Army Maj-Gen Prabowo Subianto (Suharto's son-in-law) claiming the gang has backing from Kopassus. Also rumored that Kopassus involved in the shooting of Zainuddin Lesmana at the Jagorawi toal road last year. Prabowo has publicly denied the rumors.

On January 26, the government news agency Antara quoted Prabowo as saying "It's not true" and that the authorities had pledged to rid Jakarta of the gangs, including the two involved the recent fights. Many residents of Tanah Abang had alleged the gangs, who were paid by shop owners to protect their property, were backed by the military. Tanah Abang, a key textile trade area in Jakarta and home to several local banks, is also known for its cheap accommodation and red-light district.

Shopowners said the two gangs, one consisting of ethnic East Timorese and the other made up of ethnic Irianese, were fighting for territorial control of the district.

[Compiled from reports by the Indonesian media - James Balowski]