Halmahera tense after riots

AMBON, Maluku (JP): Tension prevailed on Friday in Halmahera in North Maluku following a series of communal clashes earlier in the week that left at least 30 people dead and dozens injured.

Chief of Pattimura Military Command overseeing Maluku Brig. Gen. Max Tamaela said sporadic clashes erupted on Wednesday and Thursday in the districts of Gane Timur, Gane Barat and Galela on the eastern part of the island.

The violence on Wednesday pitted residents of the neighboring villages of Fidda and Maffa, claiming three lives. The following day, 27 people were killed in a clash involving residents of Matuting, Akelamo and Batoman villages.

At least 146 buildings, including two places of worship, were burned during the unrest.

Tamaela said the number of casualties would have been lower if the people did not resort to direct confrontations.

"Our security forces were trapped in the middle during the clashes. We lack personnel in the remote areas," Tamaela said, adding that the troops could not avoid shooting at the crowds who were already out of control.

Tamaela said he did not know the motive behind the conflict, but speculated the unrest was partly because local community leaders were not active enough in calling on people to exercise restraint.

Fresh violence was also reported in Bula, East Seram, since Thursday, but no reports of casualties were available, he said.

Several houses were burned but details remained sketchy.

Tamaela said violence in East Halmahera since January involved Christian villagers against predominantly Muslim migrants, similar to the first phase of the unrest in Ambon.

The Gane violence followed the pullout of troops, who were redeployed to Morotai island in North Halmahera to quell sectarian clashes.

Maluku has been relatively calm after year-long communal conflicts since January last year. More than 2,000 people have been killed. (49/edt).