The police believe that yesterday and today’s violent riots in Jakarta were perpetrated by a group of people distinct from those taking part in peaceful election protests happening on the same days, as there appear to be mounting evidence that the former may be instigated by paid thugs.
During a press conference today, National Police Spokesman Inspector General M Iqbal gave an update for the arrests of rioters in Menteng, Central Jakarta, who clashed with police close to midnight yesterday and into early in the morning today.
“Our preliminary finding is that the majority of them were from outside Jakarta. They were from West Java, Banten, and there were some from Central Java, too. We have evidence,” Iqbal said, as quoted by Kumparan.
Iqbal added that the police also have proof that the rioters may be thugs-for-hire.
“From some, when we searched them we found envelopes containing money. We have confiscated them and are looking into it,” he said.
Iqbal also stressed that the rioters who were arrested were not of the same group as the peaceful demonstrators who voiced their rejection of the outcome of the presidential election outside the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) office in Menteng yesterday. The latter actually broke the Ramadan fast along with police officers yesterday, before taking part in Ramadan prayers together. The peaceful protesters cleared the area at around 9pm to obey the police’s request.
Violent rioters began coming in to the area at around 11pm, clashing with police.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said that at least six people have died and more than 200 injured during last night’s election riots.
Some riots continued into this morning, particularly in the Tanah Abang district of Central Jakarta, leading to the area’s train station being shut temporarily.
But demonstrators have also began gathering outside the Bawaslu office this morning, with another peaceful protest expected in the downtown Jakarta area.
For updates on today’s unrest in Jakarta and which areas you should avoid, follow our live-tweet here.
Election protests boiled over into violent riots since last night in Jakarta. Follow our live tweets for the latest news and updates, including which parts of the capital you should avoid today. Stay safe, Jakarta
— Coconuts Jakarta (@CoconutsJakarta) May 22, 2019
