Anti-Madurese sentiment remains high in C. Kalimantan
BANJARMASIN, South Kalimantan (JP): Anti-Madurese sentiment in Central Kalimantan remained high on Monday with local Dayaks roaming the streets hunting down Madurese migrants following a fresh clash which claimed one life in Kualakapuas on Sunday.
Kapuas Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Syaiful Maltha told The Jakarta Post that the sweeping forced at least 500 Madurese migrants to seek refuge at the police station.
He confirmed that the burning of houses belonging to Madurese migrants was also continuing.
Eyewitnesses said two houses were set ablaze and six others were destroyed on Monday.
Kapuas is a Central Kalimantan regency close to the South Kalimantan capital of Banjarmasin. It takes about 90 minutes for one to travel by car to Kapuas from Banjarmasin.
Sunday's clash was triggered by rumors that Madurese migrants would retaliate for the Dayak attacks which killed at least 400 Madurese people in Sampit regency one month ago.
The deadline set by local Dayaks for the Madurese migrants to leave the regency (on Sunday) was another trigger for the violence. Kapuas was unaffected by the ethnic mayhem which hit Sampit last month.
Central Kalimantan Governor Asmawi Agani urged all residents to stay calm and not be easily provoked.
"We hope that those living in restive areas, such as in Sampit and East Kotawaringin, will comply with the existing security arrangements. People should go about their normal activities during the daytime but quickly return home before sundown to avoid any possible incidents," he said in a telephone interview on Monday.
Some 40 Madurese people, who had just reemerged from their hiding places in the jungle in Sampit, were rushed by the authorities to the nearby seaport.
In Jakarta, Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that he had asked the local authorities to take proactive measures immediately to "extinguish the fire."
Susilo urged that the local authorities maintain good communications with the central government, and be honest and objective in their reports on the latest situation so as not to allow more bloody incidents to take place. "The Sampit mayhem was more than enough."
An emergency meeting was held by the Kapuas authorities in a bid to prevent the conflict spreading to neighboring areas and to find the best way of dealing with the 383 Madurese migrants from Kapuas who are now in Banjarmasin, .
To the officials' surprise, the Dayak's most revered war chief, known as Panglima Burung, from the hinterland in West Kalimantan, attended the meeting.
Officer Syaiful said that the presence of Panglima Burung induced optimism among the authorities. "He promised to help us protect the Madurese migrants from the Dayaks' hostility," Syaiful said.
The deal reached during the discussions included provisions for handling the 383 refugees, who have being staying at the peatland development project office in Banjarmasin.
According to the deal, the Kapuas regency administration will provide the refugees with meal allowances until March 23.
The secretary of the coordinating team for refugees, Sofyan Amir, said that the refugees would be sent home to Kapuas after that date. "They will initially stay in temporary shelters in Kapuas for security reasons."
Meanwhile, Dayak militiamen conducted tight checks on 532 returning haj pilgrims. The Dayaks sniffed the people one by one to make sure that there were no Madurese among them. (32/edt/sur)