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Police arrest 16 alleged instigators of riots

Source
AFX-Asia - August 14, 1998

Jakarta – The police have arrested 16 people accused of instigating riots in May that caused the death of more than 1,000 people, reports said. "The arrests of the suspects was a follow-up to suspicions that there were intellectual actors (outside masterminds) behind the riots," the Kompas daily quoted the head of the Jakarta Police Information Office, Edward Aritonang, as saying.

The 16 people were accused of having incited others to burn and loot at 10 different sites in the greater Jakarta area, including residential and business areas, police stations, department stores, banks and traditional markets.

"I cannot yet answer whether or not there were (indeed) intellectual actors, because the police work according to the law. I can answer that only when there is solid proof," he said, adding 20 more suspects were on the police "wanted" list. The police have filed cases against three of the 16 suspects at the Attorney General's office. Prosecutors are to press charges against them.

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