Business as usual in Pontianak, says governor<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): West Kalimantan Governor Aspar Aswin said
\nyesterday the provincial capital Pontianak had returned to normal
\nand residents had resumed daily activities.<\/p>\n
He refuted reports that the widespread clashes over the past
\ntwo months between indigenous Dayaks and migrants from Madura
\nisland in East Java had disrupted the economy and caused food
\nshortages.<\/p>\n
\"The situation is fine for residents to return to usual
\nroutines,\" Aspar said during a break at a meeting of Indonesia's
\n27 governors at the Ministry of Home Affairs.<\/p>\n
Staple goods, the distribution of which was interrupted due to
\nthe tense situation following the prolonged ethnic unrest, are
\nagain reaching the regions previously affected by the unrest.<\/p>\n
An expert on Dayak culture, Stephanus Djuweng, told The
\nJakarta Post that children preparing to return to school on
\nThursday from their holidays was the first proof of normalcy in
\nthe province.<\/p>\n
Business activities had resumed and residents were again
\nmoving around freely at night, Stephanus said. The curfew was
\nlifted last week.<\/p>\n
Remnants of the tension that gripped the region since late
\nDecember are still evident however at military checkpoints.
\nSecurity personnel continue to maintain their guard on roads
\nsurrounding Pontianak, with many of them checking residents for
\nsharp weapons including knives, machetes and traditional swords
\nfrom Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
Stephanus said that Dayaks and Madurese were no longer
\nmounting guard their security posts to check one another for
\nweapons.<\/p>\n
He hailed the military efforts to maintain peace in the
\nprovince \"in the fairest manner possible.\"<\/p>\n
He was unable to confirm the number of people arrested for
\ntheir involvement in the riots and clashes or the conditions they
\nwere being held in.<\/p>\n
Ethnic clashes erupted and swept through the villages of at
\nleast seven regencies late December, sparked originally by a
\nbrawl during a folk concert between youths over a woman.<\/p>\n
Five Dayak people were killed then. A total of 21 people went
\nmissing following the unrest.<\/p>\n
The second wave of clashes began in Pontianak and surrounding
\nareas on Jan. 29, less than a month after the two groups had
\nagreed to a peace deal.<\/p>\n
Local residents said the latest unrest erupted following
\nreports of an attack by 40 masked men, believed to be Madurese
\nmigrants, on a foundation that manages Catholic schools in the
\nSiantan Tengah district. The attackers wounded two women living
\nnearby, damaged school buildings and burned two motorcycles and a
\ntruck inside the foundation compound.<\/p>\n
The disputing ethnic groups agreed to end their \"battle\" last
\nweek, when \"leaders\" of both ethnic tribes signed a second peace
\nagreement.<\/p>\n
The second agreement failed to stop the two groups from
\nattacking each other however. Riots went on, especially in West
\nKalimantan's hinterlands.<\/p>\n
Aspar said yesterday the two ethnic groups were now working on
\nyet another peace agreement. This time, no government officials
\nare involved in the process and the agreement is being prepared
\nsolely by the two groups.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know the content of the agreement. They are making
\nthe arrangements on their own. The local administration is not
\ninvolved,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Stephanus called for greater dialog between the two groups,
\nwith the support of formal and informal leaders, to promote
\ngreater understanding of their respective cultures. (imn\/01)<\/p>",
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