Tomb protesters call for Indonesian security force to be disbanded following deadly clashes

Protesters rally in Indonesia after deadly clash

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Hundreds of demonstrators descended Thursday on City Hall to demand that Jakarta’s public security force be disbanded following bloody clashes over a Muslim tomb that left three dead and 156 wounded near a key seaport.

The protesters chanted “God is Great” and some threw rocks at a billboard bearing the photo of Jakarta’s governor. More than 1,000 police were deployed to the area, which is near the U.S. Embassy in the central part of the capital, city spokesman Cucu Kurnia said.

On Wednesday, protesters wielding machetes, sticks and petrol bombs clashed with city security officers and riot police in running battles near the port outside the city center. Police used tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannons and batons to beat back the demonstrators.

The protesters believed the city security officers were trying to remove the tomb of an Arab cleric who helped spread Islam in Jakarta in the 18th century. The tomb is on land owned by the state-run seaports operator Pelindo II, and the area is home to many squatters.

Kurnia said the city had no intention of demolishing the tomb and had wanted to evict illegal settlers living nearby. The protesters believed otherwise and attacked the city security officers, sparking running battles that lasted several hours and later involved the national police.

The fighting left the port area looking like a war zone, with blood and broken glass on the streets and dozens of vehicles burning. It was Jakarta’s worst civil unrest in years.

Jakarta’s governor was to hold talks Thursday with the seaport operator, heirs of the cleric and community leaders from the port area in a bid to resolve the situation.

The death toll from the clashes climbed to three with the death Thursday of a security officer who had been in critical condition, Kurnia said.

Another 156 people were wounded, according to Jakarta police spokesman Col. Boy Rafli Amar. Some of the injuries were severe, including an officer who had his stomach slashed and another whose hand was chopped off.

Police Lt. Col. Hapsoro said scores of protesters were still gathered near the tomb Thursday, but police were able to start removing the burned out vehicles and reopen roads in the area without incident. Customs officials said the main international container terminal would remain closed until the situation returned to normal.

Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi dismissed the calls to dissolve the city security forces, but said the ministry would evaluate the unit’s performance to find out their shortcomings.

City security officers differ from the national police in that they don’t carry guns and don’t have as many powers. They are often poorly paid and poorly trained and are regularly accused by rights groups of abuses against minorities and the poor.

Abdul Qadir Assegaf, a religious leader in the port community, accused the city officials of using excessive force and said their actions “showed us how arrogant city security officers can be in enforcing unpopular rule.”

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed concern and regret over the clashes and ordered an investigation.

Associated Press writers Niniek Karmini and Ali Kotarumalos contributed to this report.