May 1998 Riot(Jakarta,Indonesia)(BBC News)

in the capital Jakarta its amounted to an uprising of the urban poor with people suffering from the worst economic crisis in decades ransacking shops and stores their anger is directed at President Suharto whose autocratic rule in Indonesia has lasted 32 years but as our Asia correspondent Matt fry reports may not last much longer may the 14th 1998 history will remember this as the day that Jakarta one of Asia's great cities was sacked by its own people the day began with fresh fires and more rioting and a capital now ruled by the mob the rage was directed against the affluent Chinese and their shops they took the goods and sometimes also the lives the remains of six people lay amongst the ashes in this room caught in the blaze too afraid to leave their burning home with the mob waiting outside the rest of the day was devoted to mayhem there was little these people didn't take offense to even a traffic light was guilty these looters took the kind of huge television set that most people dream on but their urge to destroy was greater than their desire to keep she ran a key reason suspended this was one of the scores of department stores ransacked by the people from the slum next door anything was worth grabbing as long as it was free on to the symbols of Asia's newfound wealth the shopping malls have now incurred the wrath of a mob impoverished by the financial crisis anarchy now reigns supreme in the Indonesian capital this is one of scores of places but rioting and looting has broken out and the police and the soldiers are in no position to try and control it this is now a popular uprising against the man in the picture President Suharto still abroad when his city burns after three decades in absolute power the people blame him for ruining their economy [Music] intoxicated by the newfound power many feel that they have warmed and although thousands of new troops are now being deployed in Jakarta soldiers and citizens even embraced perhaps a sign that the Army is on the people's side perhaps not it's far too early to tell with the soldiers came the tanks the generals have vowed to help their commander-in-chief restore stability at any price at any risk but candy anarchy has spread to other parts of this vast country in the city of job Jakarta rioters again fought pitched battles with police it's difficult to see how the aging president and his troops can persuade anyone to put down their rocks the economy has imploded and people like him have nothing left to lose whether President Suharto survives this or not the flag is already at half-mast for his country macht frei BBC News Jakarta