Tito Karnavian: May 21-22 Rioters Dropped from Other Regions

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - National Police Chief General Tito Karnavian said that perpetrators behind Jakarta riot on May 21-22 were called from other regions. “There were groups from Lampung, Banten, and Aceh. We will later reveal people who invited and financed them,” said Tito on Thursday, June 6.

The police currently detain 441 people suspected to be the perpetrator. The officers were still reviewing figures involved in the riot.

A peaceful demonstration on May 21 against the result of presidential election vote tally announced by the Election Commission (KPU) turned into riots. Protesters had dispersed after performing Taraweeh prayer, yet hours after, a group of mass came and crashed with the police.

The riot continued until May 22. Rioters attempted to attack officers and burnt several vehicles. Joint officers of the Indonesian military (TNI) and national police strived to disperse the mass.

As a result, hundreds of people suffered injuries and eight people died–some of them due to a gunshot. Earlier, Tito asserted that officers were not provided by live ammo. The investigation on the matter was still afoot.

Tito Karnavian further stressed that the police had sorted which mass staging peaceful rally and which provoking a riot. “We can tell the difference between peaceful act in the form of prayer, fast-breaking events, and mass Taraweeh with an act deliberately set to cause anarchy, riot, attacking officers. These are two different segments,” he noted.

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