Ethnic brawls in West Kalimantan still going on

JAKARTA (JP): Brawls between Madurese migrants and locals in Kereng Pangi area, Katingan Hilir district, Kotawaringin regency, Central Kalimantan, continued on Sunday as four buses were set on fire.

The buses of P.O. Maduratna Perdana, belonging to a Madurese businessman, were burned by angry residents as they passed the area.

Although the bus passengers were safe, the fate of the drivers is unknown. One of the drivers was rumored to have been brutally killed by the residents, but no confirmation could be obtained.

Central Kalimantan Deputy Police chief Sr. Supt. M. Djatmiko denied that any fatalities occurred in the burning of the buses.

He was quoted by Antara as saying that police had urged bus drivers to avoid the area. However, these warnings went unheeded.

"Actually, we had blocked the entry ways to Kereng Pangi from Palangkaraya and Sampit. But the buses forced their way into the area."

Sunday's incident was a continuation of unrest which erupted the previous day and left at least one person dead.

Unrest broke out on Saturday as about 100 ethnic Dayak reportedly attacked the houses of migrants in Kereng Pangi, 100 kilometers southwest of Palangkaraya, the capital of Central Kalimantan.

The attackers burned 20 houses belonging to migrants, two cars and a motorcycle. They looted and destroyed several stores and stalls belonging to migrants at the Kereng Pangi market.

They also burned down four karaoke halls.

The attack on the migrants was allegedly triggered by a brawl on Friday night between three migrants and a Dayak man named Sendong, 36, at a prostitution complex 19 kilometers from Kereng Pangi.

Sendong was killed in the brawl.

Central Kalimantan Deputy Governor Nashon Taway, accompanied by three leading Dayak figures, M. Usop, Sabran Ahmad and Simal Penyang, went to the site to calm the angry residents.

Imil, who led the attack, said the residents were angry over the unsolved murder of several Dayak people.

"We (Dayak) can no longer be patient because the police have yet to arrest the suspects of these murders," he said.

Djatmiko said he had deployed two companies of police officers to prevent another brawl.

"We have identified the three men who killed Sendong and the police are trying to track them down," he said.

About 400 people took refuge at the police headquarters because of the brawl, but half of them have been picked up by relatives on Sunday.

Ethic brawls between Madurese and local residents, especially Dayak and Malays, have occurred repeatedly since 1997 in West Kalimantan and Central Kalimantan.

Hundreds of people, mostly Madurese, were killed and thousands became refugees due to the brawls. Many of the refugees have returned to their home island of Madura, East Java.

Many believe that the brawls were mainly triggered by social jealousy among locals upon seeing the Madurese migrants economic success. (01/jun)