The city of Tasikmalaya was the site of a
widely-reported riot in late December 1996. Four people were killed and
several churches and dozens of mostly Chinese-owned businesses were
destroyed in the violence, which was triggered by allegations of police
brutality. It was also fueled by frustration with allegedly corrupt
local government officials. The event was among the earliest of many
riots with religion- and class-based undertones that occurred in Java
during the late 1990s