'Black magic' killings in Madura

'Black magic' killings in Madura

SURABAYA: The killings of people accused of having black magic
powers may not be what they seem, according to Brawijaya Military
Commander Maj. Gen. Djoko Subroto.

As quoted by Antara on Friday, he said the cited reasons for
the murders of people possessing such powers were "only excuses"
and that the real motives would likely be personal reasons.

A number of people have been killed in the Sampang and
Pamekasan regencies on Madura island east of Surabaya.

The most recent case was before dawn on Thursday when
Samongan, a resident of Gunung Maddah village in Sampang, was
killed by several unidentified people. His house and the corpse
were then burnt.

The cases have led local religious leaders to issue a
religious ruling (fatwa) that "killing people on the basis of
having black magic is a great sin."

The commander charged paid killers were behind the murders.

"The killers end up with a lot of money," said Djoko, who
comes from Pamekasan.

"Having black magic cannot be proved," he said, regretting
that people had taken the law into their own hands based on
unsubstantiated information.