Indonesia: Angry mobs attack party offices

Supporters of President Abdurrahman Wahid in Indonesia have burned down two offices of the former ruling party in protest against moves by parliament to oust him from power.

The attacks, both in the head of state's home province, happened just hours before legislators gave police documents that allegedly link Wahid to two corruption scandals and could lead to his impeachment.

Police say a pro-Wahid mob of about 10,000 set fire to branch offices of the Golkar Party in Situbondo and Asembagus in East Java, the President's home province.

In Jakarta, parliamentary speaker Akbar Tandjung - who is Golkar's national chairman - said other pro-Wahid crowds had also threatened to attack his party's offices elsewhere in the province.

"Golkar's office in Situbondo was burned to the ground by a group calling themselves (Wahid's) Defenders Front," Tandjung said.

On Sunday, dozens of pro-Wahid demonstrators stoned Golkar's offices in Pasaruan, which is also in East Java, about 300 miles east of Jakarta. The attacks came despite calls for calm by Wahid.

"I know that many people are angry, but anger cannot solve the problem," Wahid said.

Matori Abdul Djalil, the head of Wahid's National Awakening Party, said the president repeated this call on Monday in talks at the state palace in Jakarta.

East Java is the stronghold of the 30 million-member Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia's largest Muslim organization, which Wahid headed until he became president in 1999.

Anger against Golkar has risen since it and other parties in the 500-member parliament censured Wahid for his alleged involvement in two corruption scandals.