Terror In Jember Continues, Houses Are Burned In Mulyorejo Village

One of the cars damaged by an unknown group of people in Mulyorejo Village, Silo District, Jember Regency ANTARA/HO-Medsos

JEMBER - Sempolan Police Chief, Commissioner Adjutant Suhartanto confirmed the reoccurrence of house burnings in Mulyorejo Village, Jember Regency, East Java, Thursday (4/8) night.

"It is true that another arson took place in Baban Timur Hamlet, Mulyorejo Village, Silo District," he said in a short message received by ANTARA in Jember, Friday, August 5 in the morning.

Whereas Forkopimda (Regional Leadership Coordination Forum) through Deputy Regent of Jember M. Balya Firjaun Barlaman, Head of Jember Police Grand Commissioner Adjutant Hery Purnomo, and Dandim 0824 Lieutenant Colonel Inf Batara C. Pangaribuan, visited the location on Thursday (4/8) to see conditions on the ground and calm residents so that the situation is conducive.

Meanwhile, Jember DPRD member Tabroni also claimed to have received information from residents that there was another burning and destruction in Mulyorejo Village, even though Forkopimda had already visited the location.

"I've been to the location of the burning and destruction of a number of residents' houses, but only arrived in the city of Jember at night, received news that there were burnings around the same location," he said.

Tabroni asked for firm action from the police, both from the Jember Police and the Banyuwangi Police regarding the attack by a group of people on the houses of residents in Baban Timur Hamlet and other hamlets so that residents would not be restless.

"The atmosphere is very tense there because residents are afraid that their houses will be burned by a group of residents from Kalibaru District, Banyuwangi Regency," he said.

The PDI-P legislator asked the government to provide protection and security for residents in a number of hamlets in Mulyorejo Village, Silo District because residents are currently harvesting coffee.

A series of cases of burning houses and residents' vehicles in Mulyorejo Village by an unknown group of people from Kalibaru District, Banyuwangi Regency occurred three times, the first on 3 July 2022, the second on 30 July 2022, and 3 August 2022.

On July 3, 2022, there were destruction and burning of six people's houses, a school building, a security post, two-wheeled vehicles, and furniture by an unknown group of about 20 people in Statuerejo Hamlet, Mulyorejo Village, Silo District.

Then the incident repeated on July 30, 2022, which caused four residents' houses, one car, several motorbike units, shop houses, and a rice mill warehouse belonging to the residents to be damaged because they were burned by an unknown group of people.

The arson incident was repeated for the third time on August 3, 2022 in Dampikrejo Hamlet, namely a Katana car and 2 motorcycles belonging to Qosin which were allegedly carried out by unknown persons.