REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MEDAN -- Police have arrested 12 suspects in connection with rioting in Tanjungbalai, North Sumatra, recently and questioned 39 witnesses.

The head of public relations section of the North Sumatra regional police command, Senior Commissioner Rina Sari Ginting, said here on Monday the 12 suspects include six for looting and four for vandalism.

Three of them who were caught stealing car wheels and radios in front of SMP 10 school building were MARP (16), Adk (21) and MIL (17) who are all residents of Jalan Juanda.

Suspect AAM (18) was discovered stealing electronic devices in Selat Lancang, Tanjungbalai while FF (16), a resident of Jalan Pepaya, AP (18), a resident of Jalan Rambutan and MRM (17) also of Rambutan were caught stealing gas containers from a house of prayer in Selat Lancang.

Other suspects MF (21) of Jalan Sudirman, South Tanjungbali, was caught stealing tools while other suspects consist of MH (19) of Jalan MT Haryono, HR alias WF (27) of Pasar Baru in the sundistrict of Sei Tulalang Raso, ZP (17) of Jalan MT Haryono and AR (27) of Jalan MT Haryono and AR (27) of PNS Housing Complex in Pasar Baru, Sei Tulang Raso.

Police are still collecting more data and information including information from witnesses.

Although the situation has been conducive the police assisted by the military are still stationing their personnel in the location to prevent any eventualities.

Assisted by community members they also carried out community service by cleaning up several houses of prayer that have been damaged during rioting.

Rioting flared up in Tanjungbali on Friday (July 29) after an ethnic Chinese protested the use of a loudspeaker for calling for prayers leading to the destruction of a number of Budhist houses of prayer.

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