Two people have been named suspects over Monday’s torching of the local polling commission office and a Catholic church by a mob in Riau’s Kuantan Singingi district, police said on Thursday.
Riau Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Syarif Pandiangan said the two suspects were among 26 people who had been questioned in connection with the incident. More could be named suspects soon, he added.
The riot was sparked by an announcement on Monday by the Kuantan Singingi General Elections Commission (KPUD) that Sukarmis, the incumbent district head, had defeated his deputy, Mursini, in an election earlier this month.
Mursini’s supporters stormed the KPUD office and accused polling officials of electoral fraud. The protest soon turned violent and the mob began throwing rocks at the officials and setting the building on fire.
The mob then marched to Mursini’s home, vandalizing other buildings along the way, including the homes of several district officials. “They even burned down a church near Mursini’s house just because they weren’t pleased with the results of the election,” Syarif said.
He denied allegations that the arson attack was triggered by religious conflict.
“It doesn’t seem like it was a religion issue,” he said. “The church just happened to become a target because the mob was walking past it at the time. And because it was made of wood, it burned down easily.
“However, it’s still too early to jump to any conclusions right now because the investigation is still underway.”
No casualties were reported from the attack, but several police officers were injured by the rocks that were thrown and two rioters were injured when police opened fire with rubber bullets.
Following the incident, Riau Police mobilized nearly 1,000 police officers to restore order in the district.
Syarif said residents of Kuantan Singingi had been afraid to leave their homes in the days immediately after the violence, but had now largely returned to their normal routines.
(according to the JG)
do 14 apr 2011 - 17:42