Anti-Madurese sentiment remains high in C. Kalimantan

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)