Over 160 migrants seek safety<\/p>\n
Rusman, The Jakarta Post, Samarinda, East Kalimantan<\/p>\n
Following a recent clash between two groups of migrants, in which
\ntwo people were killed and another injured, more than 160
\nmigrants from West Nusa Tenggara are seeking refuge at the
\nSamarinda Police station in fear of further violence.<\/p>\n
East Kalimantan Police said they had arrested eight people
\naccused of taking part in the brawl, which broke out on Nov. 30,
\nand were questioning the suspects.<\/p>\n
\"We want to go home, but the police have yet to guarantee that
\nwe will be safe for the time being,\" migrant Najamuddin said on
\nWednesday.<\/p>\n
\"At least two houses belonging to our group have been looted
\nby our rivals. It is good that they didn't vandalize them, but we
\nare still shocked,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The clash erupted between the West Nusa Tenggara migrants and
\na rival group of migrants from South Sulawesi, after a South
\nSulawesi man was killed in a verbal dispute involving drunken
\nyouths from the two groups.<\/p>\n
The violence continued in another clash, in which one West
\nNusa Tenggara migrant was killed and another injured. The injured
\nman, whose identity was not available, is receiving medical
\ntreatment at a local hospital.<\/p>\n
Hatred among the two groups peaked, and on the following day,
\nthe South Sulawesi group attacked an area known to be populated
\nmostly by West Nusa Tenggara migrants.<\/p>\n
Police said there are at least 161 migrants seeking shelter at
\nthe station, consisting of 66 men, 64 women and 31 children. Most
\nof the migrants work at local timber companies.<\/p>\n
Dozens of other West Nusa Tenggara migrants are taking refuge
\nin local neighborhoods.<\/p>\n
The East Kalimantan social affairs office are providing clean
\nwater and food for the migrants.<\/p>\n
Clashes between ethnic groups have become a sensitive issue in
\nKalimantan, where a series of bloody clashes involving Madurese
\nmigrants and indigenous peoples erupted in Central Kalimantan in
\n1998 and 2000, forcing thousands of Madurese to flee to other
\nprovinces. Many have refused to return to their Kalimantan homes.<\/p>\n
There are about 4,600 migrants currently residing in the East
\nKalimantan capital of Samarinda.<\/p>\n
East Kalimantan Governor Suwarna AF visited the migrants on
\nWednesday and asked them to remain calm.<\/p>\n
\"We have to maintain the peace here, and I ask all people to
\nstop taking the law into their own hands.<\/p>\n
\"We should not take revenge against others, in order to
\nprevent the situation from disintegrating,\" Suwarna said.<\/p>\n
He appealed to the migrants to go home instead of returning to
\ntheir place of origin.<\/p>",
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