More people flee riot town to Singkawang

JAKARTA (JP): The number of residents fleeing the West Kalimantan district of Sanggau Ledo, Sambas regency, hit by ethnic tension which killed five Monday, increased yesterday to almost 5,700 people.

A resident source told The Jakarta Post the general atmosphere in the district was one of anxiety and fear. As of last night, 5,678 people of the Maduran ethnic group had fled to Singkawang, some 70 kilometers west of the district.

But there have been no more casualties or damage to property since the violent clash broke out Monday, the source said.

It is unclear how many Madurans, who originate from Madura Island in East Java, had been involved in the clash with the native Dayak people. On Thursday, thousands of Dayak men went on a burning and looting rampage against Maduran houses and other property.

The source also reported an increase from 471 to 606 women and children seeking refuge at the Sanggau Ledo Air Force base, adding to the approximately 500 existing refugees.

At a rough estimate there are about 1,200 refugees there, the source said.

Many were awaiting transfer to a haj dormitory in the West Kalimantan capital of Pontianak, which can accommodate up to 1,000 people.

Pontianak is some 765 kilometers north of Jakarta.

Meanwhile, an estimated 600 troops were still deployed in Singkawang, and in the districts of Samalantan, Bengkayang, Sanggau Ledo and Ledo, to maintain security and prevent further unrest. The Kolor village in Singkawang was under especially tight security, the source said but gave no further details.

The curfew between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m., imposed earlier by Sambas Regent Taryo Aryanto, remained effective yesterday. The regent could not be contacted for comment last night.

The daily Kompas reported yesterday that 90 homes were burned in Sanggau Ledo, Marabu village, Kampung Jawa, and Jirak village. A number of homes in transmigration sites A,B,C,D, in Sanggau Ledo district have also been burned by rioters.

Residents in Singkawang have complained of disrupted telephone lines, and reported food shortages. Some people have organized relief posts in Singkawang including four public kitchens to serve the refugees. Meals are also provided by private homes to refugees.

The source said the food supply was authorized by Sambas Regent Taryo Aryanto and paid by Uray Faisal Hamid, the chairman of provincial legislative council.

The tension in Sanggau Ledo, one of the 17 districts in Sambas, was sparked by a brawl, over a woman, between two groups of youths. In the incident at a local music concert, a Madura man reportedly stabbed two Dayak tribesmen in the stomach.

The communities in the West Kalimantan cities have a long history of feuds between the Dayak and the migrant Maduran ethnic groups. (01)