REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The police have arrested 19 suspects in the riots in Tanjungbalai, North Sumatra, on Friday (29/7) night.

"Suspects now as many as 19 people," National Police's chief spokesperson Commissioner Martinus Sitompul said at Police Headquarters, Jakarta, Thursday (4/8).

This number increased from then 18 people previously. The suspects comprise of 11 perpetrators and eight suspected perpetrators of theft but not all of them were arrested. According to him, five suspects of Tanjungbalai case returned to their parents because they are students.

Police officers are still investigating mastermind the case.

"Investigators still investigating the case," he said.

Previously, there were riots in Tanjungbalai on Friday (29/7) night that preceded the protests by Chinese citizens about azan. The event was broadened into riots which led to temples marred by citizens.

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