Tension remains in violence-hit Sampit<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Clashes continued in Sampit, East Kotawaringin
\nregency, Central Kalimantan, on Friday, with the death toll from
\nthe ethnic violence rising to over 100.<\/p>\n
Military and police reinforcements continue to be deployed in
\nthe regency, while thousands of Madurese refugees prepare to
\nleave the area for East Java aboard Navy ships.<\/p>\n
National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro, who was in
\nMakassar, South Sulawesi, on Friday to inaugurate members of the
\nNarcotics Bureau, conceded that \"generally, the violence is still
\nraging in Sampit\".<\/p>\n
Surojo said a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew had been imposed and
\nurged residents to obey the curfew.<\/p>\n
The Navy decided on Friday to send a second ship to the area.
\nThe KRI Teku Ende-517 was deployed from Surabaya, East Java, and
\nwill join the KRI Teluk Sampit-515 in evacuating refugees.<\/p>\n
The two ships are expected to arrive in Samuda, about 40
\nkilometers south of Sampit, on Friday evening.<\/p>\n
Estimates on the number of refugees in Sampit vary, with
\nAntara putting the figure at 12,000 sheltering at the local
\ncouncil office and police and military headquarters.<\/p>\n
As of Friday no less than 80 people were being detained by
\npolice on charges of arson and vandalism, while 38 were being
\nheld on suspicion of murder, Surojo said.<\/p>\n
\"The suspects came from both warring camps (of Dayaks and
\nMadurese),\" Surojo said.<\/p>\n
Sampit Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Petrus Hardono said the
\nlatest death toll stood at 91, however, he added that this figure
\ncould go much higher \"since dozens of bodies have still not been
\nremoved from the streets\".<\/p>\n
\"The death toll may reach over 100 as we are still trying to
\nlocate more victims and remove them,\" Petrus said.<\/p>\n
The violence in the small Central Kalimantan city erupted on
\nSunday morning and spread to surrounding areas in the following
\ndays.<\/p>\n
Kalimantan has seen recurrent episodes of ethnic violence in
\nrecent years. Thousands are believed to have died in 1997 during
\nethnic clashes in Sambas regency, West Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
The latest episode was in December, when at least four died in
\nseveral days of fighting between Dayaks and Madurese in Central
\nKalimantan, while 11 people were killed in similar clashes in the
\nWest Kalimantan capital of Pontianak in October.<\/p>\n
The current violence in Sampit again pits migrant Madurese
\nagainst local Dayaks.<\/p>\n
East Kotawaringin Regent Wahyudi K. Anwar urged on Friday
\nlocal Dayak tribal leaders to end the violence. \"These atrocities
\nmust stop; no more deaths.\"<\/p>\n
Local journalists said dozens of headless corpses were
\ndiscovered along Jl. S. Parman, which is located directly behind
\nthe regent's official residence.<\/p>\n
\"(The situation) became tenser in the afternoon and those
\nbodies have not yet been removed,\" a local journalist said as
\nquoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
Based on their records, hospital officials have put the death
\ntoll at 134.<\/p>\n
At last count no fewer than 168 houses have been damaged and
\n76 gutted by mobs since Sunday.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, the head of the National Police's General
\nInformation Service, Sr. Comr. Timbul Sianturi, said police have
\narrested three men, identified only as Fd, Lw and In, who is an
\nofficial of the local forestry office, who are believed to be
\nmasterminds of the riot.<\/p>\n
The three men are reported to have paid Rp 20 million to six
\nmen to provoke the clashes in a bid to retain their civil service
\nposts.<\/p>\n
In Surabaya, House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung
\nurged Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri to help resolve the
\nviolence in Sampit.<\/p>\n
\"The Sampit case must be the top priority for Megawati, and
\nsince President Abdurrahman Wahid is already away on a foreign
\ntrip she will be assisted by law enforcers. I believe she can do
\nthe job well,\" Akbar said as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
Akbar warned that \"if the Sampit case is not resolved, it will
\nhave a negative impact on prospective foreign investors who wish
\nto conduct business in Kalimantan\".<\/p>\n
\"Footage of people getting their heads chopped off will scare
\npeople away,\" he said. (27\/edt\/jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tension-remains-in-violence-hit-sampit-1447893297",
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