Restive Night By the Banks of Asahan river

Comr. Gen. Syafruddin was in Parapat, a North Sumatera town by the Lake Toba, Friday two weeks ago when he received a phone call from his boss, National Police chief Gen. Tito Kurnavian. Sent by Tito, the chief of the Police Education Institution was there to attend the Batak Indigenous Congress. But soon after his arrival in Parapat around midnight, Tito gave him a new order. "Pak, please handle the Tanjungbalai riot," Syafruddin said quoting Tito's instruction last Wednesday.

A few hours before, angry mobs had vandalized and set ablaze three monasteries, eight temples and one clinic at Tanjungbalai. Fire besieged the Tri Ratna monastery on Jalan Asahan, the Avalokitesvara monastery on Jalan Imam Bonjol, the Dewi Ratna, Tio Hai Bio and Dewi Samudera templesall on Jalan Asahanand the Lyoung temple on Jalan Jendral Sudirman.