"Based on information we have received the violence spontaneously broke out due to residents` discontent," Brig Gen Boy Rafli Amar, the chief of the National Police Headquarters` Public Relations Bureau, said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Police have found no indications so far that the recent violence in Palopo, South Sulawesi, had previously been planned, a police spokesman said.

"Based on information we have received the violence spontaneously broke out due to residents` discontent. We have no information yet whether the anarchic acts have previously been planned," Brig Gen Boy Rafli Amar, the chief of the National Police Headquarters` Public Relations Bureau, said here on Wednesday.

He said that police had no fact whether the perpetrators of the violence had been backed up by a financier. After all, it was still unclear whether the perpetrators were members of the success teams of the two sides who competed in the local mayor and deputy mayor elections.

Boy said the violence could have been provoked by parties who were not satisfied with the defeat of their candidates in the elections.

He said that actually there were suspects who had taken bottles containing gasoline. This could be suspected as having planned an action.

"Certain people brought with them gasoline. Why they should bring it. We should question this," he said.

Earlier, police named six suspects in the local election-related violence where several government offices were burned.

The suspects were AT who was believed to have instigated the vandalism, SLM, SHR, and ASD who threw items to the Golkar Party building, MLS who was caught carrying bottles containing gasoline and WS alias C who was suspected to have been involved in the torching.

Boy said on Tuesday that police had arrested five suspects in connection with the incident.

"Until this afternoon we have been informed five people have been arrested and questioned as suspects. Efforts are still being made to find other suspects involved in the incident," National Police spokesman Brigadier General Boy Rafli Amar said at a press conference on Tuesday.

Boy said the police are still hunting three main actors in the incident and hoped they could be arrested immediately.

"They are now still under interrogation by investigators while efforts continued to be taken to recover conditions," he said.

Boy said the police hoped that supporters of all candidates in the recent Palopo mayor election would participate in the effort.

The situation in one of the biggest cities in South Sulawesi has been put under the direct control of the South Sulawesi regional police chief due to the incident.

A number of public facilities in Palopo including the mayor`s office, the local General Election Commission office, the local office of Golkar Party, the Palopo Pos daily office and others had been burned by supporters whose candidate was declared losing in the election last Sunday.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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