Brawl leads to vandalism

JENEPONTO, South Sulawesi (JP): Eighty houses were destroyed and some 200 people fled their homes on Saturday in Jeneponto regency, some 120 kilometers north of Makassar, South Sulawesi, after it was attacked by residents of four neighboring villages over the death of a fellow villager the day before.

No fatalities were reported.

Adj. Comr. Burhan BP, the chief of operations at Jeneponto Police, said the brawl started when residents of Bontotangga, Turatea, Tamanroyak Utara and Tamanroyak Timur attacked the neighboring village of Tamanroyak in the early hours of Saturday. A second attack followed at 9 a.m.

The head of Tamanroyak village, Abdul Haris, told The Jakarta Post that the brawl was in retaliation for the killing on Friday evening of Sarifuddin Daeng Tangnga, 40, a resident of Turatea village.

"Tangnga was drunk and made trouble in the area. The villagers got angry and took action against him."

News of his death reached his relatives.

Hundreds of villagers then attacked Tamanroyak village where Tangnga was killed. Another police officer said the mob outnumbered the policemen in Jeneponto. "There were only eight officers when the attack took place, what could we do?" said the officer, who requested anonymity.

Police arrested on Saturday three people believed to be involved in Tangnga's murder, Burhan said. (27)