Traditional martial arts fighters still missing after murder

The Jakarta Post | Sat, 09/20/2008 2:58 PM | National

Bojonegoro Police officers have entered woods near Mlideg village, East Java, in search of a number of traditional martial arts, silat, students who allegedly killed a civilian in an ambush last week.

None of the students have been caught so far, but the police have confiscated 11 motorcycles and nine weapons, including knives, machetes and a samurai sword found abandoned in the woods.

According to local witnesses as quoted by Kompas, the students went into hiding to avoid police arrest after they had ambushed a group of people who they had mistaken for members of another martial arts group.

Head of Bojonegoro police civil partnership division Adj. Comr. Kusen Hidayat said roughly 200 people had been involved in the attack, most of whom were disciples of a traditional silat martial arts clan called Setia Hati Terate.

Many of the clan members are students of local state high school SMA Negeri 1.

The police investigation so far has uncovered that on the night of the incident the students hid behind bushes along a street near their headquarters in order to ambush another martial arts clan.

A group of people walking down the street upon returning from a music concert usually held on weekends in a neighboring village were attacked by the hidden martial arts gang. Sixteen of the passersby were badly wounded in the assault, and 35 year-old Yuswanto was later found dead.

The police immediately launched an investigation and found that 85 high school students had been missing the next day at school.

"The students didn't dare come home after the incident, (they were) afraid of the police arrest," said local district head Erdin.

After a week-long search, the police have yet to locate the perpetrators' hideout. Investigators suspect the students have managed to survive so long in the woods because they are being supplied with food by their families.

The police have distributed pictures of head of the Terate clan brotherhood Yaiman, whom has been named as a suspect in the case.

"Yaiman is the brains behind the violent brawl," said Bojonegoro precinct chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Agus S. Hidayat.(and)

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