Four shot dead in Flores melee<\/p>\n
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara<\/p>\n
At least four people are dead and 24 others were injured when
\nabout 400 villagers clashed with police at the Ruteng Police
\nstation in Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara, on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
No detailed information was available about the victims and
\nthe incident late on Wednesday evening because of the limited
\ncommunication facilities in the provincial capital, Kupang.<\/p>\n
However, the riot was believed to have been triggered by a
\ndispute over a coffee plantation, which police had destroyed
\nafter it was planted in a protected forest in the regency.<\/p>\n
East Nusa Tenggara provincial police chief Brig. Gen. Edward
\nAritonang, who received a preliminary report on the incident,
\nsaid officers had fired on about 400 villagers from Rendenao in
\nPoco Ranaka, after they ran amok, stabbing a police cadet who was
\non duty and ransacking the police station with machetes and
\nsticks.<\/p>\n
Police fired after the mob ignored their warnings to disburse,
\nhe said. The crowd then attacked police personnel who were in the
\nprecinct's back yard.<\/p>\n
"We will be investigating the shooting to find if it was
\nconducted in accordance with the proper procedure or not," Edward
\nsaid, before his departure to Ruteng.<\/p>\n
The villagers were demanding the release of seven farmers who
\nwere undergoing a police interrogation.<\/p>\n
The seven were detained by the local police because they were
\nalleged to own the illegal plantations, he said.<\/p>\n
On their way to the station to hold talks with police chief
\nAdj. Sr. Comr. Bony Tompoi, the villagers changed tactics and
\nstormed the office.<\/p>\n
The local administration has banned farming in the protected
\nforest but locals have ignored the ban.<\/p>\n
Since last year, it has destroyed about 15,000 hectares of
\ncoffee farms, despite protests from farmers.<\/p>\n
Aritonang said the villagers held a meeting on Tuesday and
\nunanimously agreed to defy the ban.<\/p>\n
National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said he would
\nimmediately send a team to Manggarai to investigate the incident.<\/p>\n
"Stern action will be taken against any police officers who
\nwere found to have unnecessarily opened fire on the villagers,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Order in the area had been restored after over 100 personnel
\nfrom the local mobile police and anti-riot units were deployed.<\/p>\n
However, the situation in Ruteng still remained tense on
\nWednesday evening, he said.<\/p>",
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