Kapuas murder renews fears of ethnic violence
Kapuas murder renews fears of ethnic violence
Umi Sriwahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Banjarmasin
The murder on Monday of a 60-year-old Madurese man, Ridin, in the
village of Saklamangkahai in the Central Kalimantan regency of
Kapuas has raised fears of a new wave of ethnic violence in the
province.
Some 100 Madurese people have fled to the South Kalimantan
capital of Banjarmasin this week, returning to the city where
many Madurese took shelter for 14 months during the last outbreak
of ethnic violence.
Ridin was decapitated by a group of unidentified assailants
who forced their way into his house on Monday night.
Ridin and his family had recently returned to their village
after taking refuge in Banjarmasin for 14 months following the
ethnic violence that claimed more than 400 lives in the Central
Kalimantan town of Sampit last March.
According to witnesses who asked to remain anonymous, a group
of men, believed to be members of the Dayak militia Pasus,
arrived at Ridin's house and called for him to come outside.
"Ridin answered back in the local Dayak language that he did
not want to come outside, but the men force their way into his
house and murdered him," one witness said.
The incident prompted other Madurese in the village to flee to
Banjarmasin, under the escort of local security personnel.
Before the murder, the return of Madurese refugees from
Banjarmasin had been a source of controversy among local people
in the regency.
Adj. Sr. Comr. Bekti Suhartono, the chief of the Kapuas
Police, confirmed the murder but denied that it was committed by
members of the already-disbanded Pasus.
"The investigation is still under way, but so far the murder
just looks like a crime, with nothing to do with any ethnic
conflict," he said.
Asked to comment on the Madurese who fled the village
following the incident, Bekti said they took refuge because they
were still traumatized by last March's ethnic violence.
He said that Pasus, which was established by Dayaks as a self-
defense organization, was disbanded after the ethnic violence.