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Indonesian mob burn shops in food riots

Source
Reuters - February 7, 1998

Jakarta – At least two shops were burned and seven others damaged in an eastern Indonesian town on Saturday during a protest against price hikes triggered by the currency crisis, the official Antara news agency reported.

It quoted military officials in Bima town on the island of Sumbawa, east of the island resort of Bali, as saying about 100 people attacked shops during the morning protest.

"There are seven shops whose windows have broken and two shops which are burned by the protesters," said Colonel Soekotjo, head of the local military command.

He said the incident took place when the protesters marched to the local parliament building to protest against price hikes.

Soekotjo denied rumours that 60 shops had been attacked during the incident, the latest in a wave of riots to hit Indonesia in the past few weeks.

Antara did not say if the military made any arrests, adding that the situation had returned to normal in Bima.

Riots over spiralling price increases have rocked several towns in East Java and also in Ujung Pandang, capital of South Sulawesi province.

Political observers say the situation in the eastern areas remains volatile as Indonesia's economic crisis bites home. But they noted no deaths and few injuries have been reported.

President Suharto and government members have expressed concern over the potential for violence as the economic crisis sends prices and unemployment soaring.

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