Jepara calm after fatal clash

JEPARA, Central Java: The tension had eased by Monday in the neighboring villages of Bandungharjo and Tulakan in Keling district of Jepara regency, after a vicious clash between residents of the two villagers on Friday.

Five victims were buried at their respective villages.

Police detectives have so far arrested nobody in the clash, which also injured dozens of people. The officers have questioned some of the villagers and were collecting weapons used in the fight.

The Jepara authorities met with community leaders, asking for help in calming down the villagers and securing the areas, Antara reported.

"The incident should be ended here. There should be no revenge, which could only cause losses to the people themselves," regent Soenarto said.

The rivalry started on Wednesday at midnight when a man from Bandungharjo assaulted a Tulakan woman during a dangdut music show at Tulakan.

The unidentified man from Bandungharjo may not have known that the woman is the wife of the organizer of the show, which took place near her house.

Her husband, Karmadi, halted the show and, with a group of 20 men, combed Bandungharjo for the young man. Failing to find him, the group attacked five men at a coffee shop, damaging the shop and three motorcycles.

Some 25 upset Bandungharjo residents drove to Tulakan the next day and damaged Karmadi's house.

On Friday, Karmadi recruited about 25 people from Tulakan and other surrounding villages and led the men, armed with machetes, to Bandungharjo.

Upon their arrival, they burned down a house and damaged two others before being mobbed by scores of Bandungharjo villagers. Five of them, including Karmadi, were killed. (bsr)