No signs of reduction in clashes

SAMPIT, Central Kalimantan (JP): There have been no signs of abatement in the bloody ethnic attacks perpetrated by the indigenous Dayaks on Madurese migrants in Sampit, Central Kalimantan, despite the fact that the mayhem, which has claimed hundreds of lives, mostly Madurese, entered its tenth day on Tuesday.

The largest town in the province was still crippled, while some 20,000 Madurese "trapped" in the district of Samuda, some 40 kilometers north of Sampit, were unable to leave the area.

There were still 118 corpses dumped in the front yard of the Parenggean district head's office that had yet to be buried. They were all covered in shrouds, but a mass grave was only due to be excavated on Tuesday.

The feeling on the ground among the residents of Sampit and neighboring towns was that the bloodletting would continue, a reporter based in the provincial capital of Palangkaraya said.

In Palangkaraya, the remains of seven Madurese were found on Tuesday evening, while the torching of Madurese houses continued unchecked.

Groups of people were seen looting the abandoned homes of Madurese families while the security forces stood idly by.

Waves of Madurese refugees were continuing to flee Palangkaraya for the South Kalimantan capital of Banjarmasin.

Madurese families living in the regency of Kapuas were also fleeing in the direction of Banjarmasin following rumors that the ethnic cleansing operation conducted by the Dayaks would reach Kapuas, which is 70 kilometers away from Banjarmasin.

Violence also erupted at the Madusa seaport, some 40 kilometers south of Sampit, on Tuesday afternoon when Police Mobile Brigade troopers and Army soldiers traded shots.

No fatalities were reported, but seven Brimob troopers, four soldiers and one Dayak man were injured in the daylight gunfight.

A Madurese man, who asked for anonymity, told The Jakarta Post at the port that the incident took place after the soldiers tried to stop more Madurese refugees from embarking on the KM Binaya which was ready to sail for Surabaya.

"We had already paid the police officers to be allowed to board the ship, even though it looked overloaded, but the soldiers wouldn't let us on. Suddenly, a police officer fired a shot and the gunfight erupted," the Madurese said, adding that he had canceled his plan to go by ship.

Ten vehicles, including seven Army trucks, were damaged in the violence.

Ethnic clash

In Jakarta, Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Muslim scholar Nurcholiosh Madjid reiterated that the Sampit disturbances were part of an ethnic conflict that had nothing to do with religion.

Susilo was responding to the Islamic Defense Institute (LPI)'s statement that the riots were a sectarian conflict between the Christian Dayaks and the Muslim Madurese.

Around 150 Muslim youths from the LPI staged a demonstration at the House of Representatives (DPR), urging the government to deport all foreign Catholic clerics whom they said had provoked anti-Madurese sentiment in Central Kalimantan.

"I regret that some parties are trying to politicize the conflict and to twist the reality that the clashes are not sectarian," Susilo said before attending a meeting with the House's special committee on national unity on Tuesday.

Separately, Nurcholish said that the seeds of the ethnic conflict had been planted during the Soeharto era. "But Soeharto's iron fist apparently deterred those who wanted to start trouble. This shows us that the harmony we had in the past was an illusion."

After attending the committee meeting, Susilo expressed his anger at the various criticisms levied by politicians at the government's handling of the Sampit crisis.

"In such a difficult situation, politicians shouldn't just criticize. Go there and see what is happening and what the government has done to deal with the conflict."

Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Amien Rais blasted the government on Tuesday, saying that it had failed to curb a series of conflicts across the archipelago, including Sampit.

When asked to comment on Amien's statement, Susilo said, "I am responsible for everything (concerning the conflict). But I have no obligation to report to Amien Rais. I'm responsible to the President and Vice President."

The death toll rose to around 400 on Tuesday and is expected to rise further. National Police data indicated that as of 11 a.m. on Tuesday, 321 people had been killed and more than 500 houses burned to the ground.

Central Kalimantan Governor Asmawi Agani said on Tuesday that his administration had not yet decided to declare a state of civil emergency in the riot-torn area.

"Things are gradually calming down and we do not want to rush into anything. We are intensifying the dialog. A civil emergency is the last resort as it could bring about unintended consequences," he said by phone from Palangkaraya.

In Bandung, National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro said that the declaration of a state of civil emergency, "is still being carefully considered but will only be happen if the situation deteriorates further," Antara reported.

Surojo further said that a total of 174 rioters had been detained while hundreds of weapons had been seized from a hotel in Palangkaraya.

Also in Bandung, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said that, "the TNI commander is not yet planning to deploy Kopassus special forces as the most important thing now is how to stop the conflict, restore security and uphold the law," the news agency said.

Separately, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Didi Widayadi said that the police were ready and on alert should the Central Kalimantan administration declare martial law.

Some 50 people from the Solidarity with the Madurese in Indonesia (Somasi) group protested outside National Police Headquarters on Tuesday, demanding that Gen. Surojo Bimantoro quit his post if he felt he was unable to control the "bloody war" in Sampit. (team)