JAKARTA, May 16: Thousands of foreigners and Indonesians were preparing on Saturday to flee riot-torn Jakarta, after days of mob violence claimed the lives of about 260 people with rescuers combing gutted buildings.More than 2,000 US and Canadian citizens gathered in the early hours to be airlifted to safety on board special flights to Bangkok and Singapore. The first group of evacuees left early on Saturday, a Canadian official confirmed.Other embassies were also drawing up plans to help their nationals who wanted to leave, after the capital descended into anarchy on Wednesday and Thursday as mobs went on a rampage of burning and looting.President Suharto moved to quell the unrest by ordering the Army to take tough measures against the rioters, and cutting the crippling fuel and electricity price hikes which helped ignite the latest unrest.Early on Saturday the Indonesian capital remained eerily calm, with most businesses closed behind metal shutters and armed marines guarding manybuildings.Troops were also seen guarding embassies and diplomatic compounds, while several tanks were stationed in strategic parking lots.As public transport slowly resumed, a few people were out and about, some huddled in groups scouring newspapers for reports on the horrific deaths of about 250 people in fires started by looters in shopping malls and department stores. There were fears the death toll could soar as rescue workers resumed a grim search through the cooling embers, finally doused by a huge tropical storm late on Friday. There was confusion over the exact toll, as one newspaper report that 400 bodies had been found was denied by the Cipto Mangunkusumo hospital.Suharto has come under increasing pressure to step aside to allow political reform. He repeated on Friday that he would resign if he had lost his people's trust after more than three decades in power.G-8 leaders meeting in the English city of Birmingham said they were "deeply concerned" by the situation in Indonesia. "Thecurrent social unrest indicates that, to resolve the crisis, political as well as economic reform is necessary," they said in a statement. They urged the authorities to respond rapidly to the need for political reform by opening a dialogue which addresses the aspirations of the Indonesian people.Muslim leader Amien Rais, who has set up a pro-democracy group called the People's Council, was meanwhile due to address a huge rally at the Al-Azhar mosque in the centre of Jakarta on Saturday.Meanwhile, the foreign affairs ministry pledged the government would guarantee the security of foreign diplomats and citizens, according to the Bisnis Indonesia daily. "Indeed that task has become an inseparable part of the efforts to secure the capital," foreign affairs secretary general Abdul Irsan said.G-8 for reforms to resolve crisis BIRMINGHAM: G-8 leaders have said they were "deeply concerned" by the situation in Indonesia and suggested that the government enact political as well as economicreforms to resolve the crisis.The group of eight countries said on Friday they were "deeply concerned at the situation in Indonesia, especially the recent upsurge of violence and the loss of life" in a communique after the first part of their summit here.The economic reform programme agreed with the International Monetary Fund, the group said, "is the only way to restore confidence and growth" in Indonesia and acknowledged the social strain caused by the economic crisis.But they said "the current social unrest indicates that, to resolve the crisis, political as well as economic reform is necessary".
