Hundreds of villagers flee North Luwu regency mayhem

MALANGKE, South Sulawesi (JP): At least 1,400 residents from eight villages in West Malangke and Baebunta district in North Luwu regency left their homes on Sunday to escape communal clashes in the area that first erupted on Thursday.

Most have fled to Amasangeng, West Malangke district, about 500 kilometers north of Makassar, because their houses have been razed in riots, West Malangke district chief Baso Asri said on Sunday.

They are being sheltered in Malangke village hall and Malangke Urukumpang elementary school, he added.

"Community and religious leaders have decided to protect these people. The evacuation is being tightly guarded by seven platoons from the police and military to avoid further dispute," Baso said.

"In a bid to avoid further pursuit from their rivals, locals have been leaving since Saturday for Palopo in Luwu regency via river and sea on board traditional katinting boats," he explained.

The refugees come from Mangkallang, To'baki, Anggrek Lara Satu and Landungdoa villages in West Malangke district and Urukumpang, Tepo Wara, Tokarua and Kalitata in Baebunta district.

At least 210 houses were gutted by fire in the two districts since the clashes erupted on Friday, reports said.

Baso claimed the villagers had been attacked by people from Seriti and To'lemo from neighboring Lamasi district who had previously had their houses torched by migrants from Tana Toraja.

The condition of the refugees sheltering in Amasangeng, located 100 kilometers north of Palopo, was described as poor, with dozens of children suffering from diarrhea and severe breathing problems.

"There's no clean water and we don't have food here," said 67- year-old Rita Bugi, a refugee from Landungdo.

South Sulawesi provincial administration spokesman Agus Sumantri promised that support was on its way.

"The governor will visit the refugees this week and bring the necessary aid," he said.

"We are also trying to provide security for locals who want to seek refuge via sea or river. We have to watch the safety of these people as it will be easy for attackers to strike at them on land," South Sulawesi Police deputy chief Sr. Supt. Jusuf Manggabarani said.

Police also arrested a 17-year-old boy named Rahman for illegal possession of a papporo homemade gun, Luwu Police chief Supt. Anjaya said on Saturday.

"He is being detained at Masamba Police station," Anjaya said.

It was also reported that a rioter was shot in a gunfight with police in Cenning village, West Malangke district, on Saturday, but details were not immediately available.

Communal conflict in Luwu has occurred regularly since 1985.

It is often triggered by street brawls between teenagers, sparking intervillage clashes and later escalating into full- scale battles between natives of Tana Toraja and migrants from Java.

The government split the former Luwu area into two regencies last year in a last-ditch effort to quell the conflicts.

According to migrants, clashes are initiated by natives envious of their wealth. (27/edt)