An official at the forest fire coordinating bureau in Jakarta said at least 51 bush fires had been recorded on Sumatra and 40 in Kalimantan, on the Indonesian side of Borneo island. In Jatiwangi, hundreds of people rioted in the streets and set fire to at least five shops owned by the ethnic Chinese minority and some cars in protest against food price hikes. It was only the latest in a series of civil disturbances across the Moslem-majority nation of 200 million people. Shops have been looted and set on fire in several towns across Java and the islands of Flores, Sumbawa and Sulawesi in recent weeks after rises in prices of rice, cooking oil and milk. President Suharto claimed that there was a plot by certain groups to destabilize the government.
Rioting continues in cities, towns and villages in Indonesia.
On Thursday, more than 1,000 people protested against soaring retail prices and looted Chinese-owned stores and houses. The demonstrators then burned goods in the streets of two neighboring towns. The disturbances occurred in Losari and Gebang, located about 125 miles east of Jakarta. Mobs in both towns reportedly threw rocks at Chinese-owned shops and destroyed retail market stalls. In Gebang, rioters are said to have also broke into several Chinese-owned houses and set furniture on fire in the streets.