One dead as Papuans clash over independence

One dead as Papuans clash over independence

Nethy Dharma Somba and Oyos Saroso, The Jakarta Post/Jayapura/Lampung

One person was killed and seven others injured in a tribal clash
in Papua over whether Indonesian Independence Day should be
commemorated, a senior police officer said on Thursday.

Jayapura Police detectives chief Second Insp. Jafar M. Yusuf
said the clash between members of the Wei and Dambo tribes
occurred on Tuesday in Kalimo subdistrict, Keerom regency.

Jafar said the clash began when a Kalimo subdistrict official
announced during a church service last Sunday that the
subdistrict would organize competitions to commemorate
Independence Day on Aug. 17.

The subdistrict, which is reputedly a haven for Papuan
separatists, is located near the border with Papua New Guinea.

Leaders of the Wei tribe said they opposed the holding of the
competitions, while the Dambo tribe came out in support of the
event.

Wei tribal leaders warned the Dambo tribe against supporting
the competitions, but the Dambo's leaders refused to back down.

On Tuesday, dozens of Wei tribesmen attacked a predominantly
Dambo neighborhood, resulting in the death of Hubertus Wei, 25.
Four people from the Wei tribe and three from the Dambo tribe
were also injured in the violence.

However, the Indonesian Military provided a different account
of the incident. Lt. Col. Damar T. Santoso, the chief of the
Tamalate battalion overseeing Keerom regency, said the clash was
sparked by allegations of corruption in the distribution of
government rice and cash aid to the subdistrict.

Damar said the incident began when a resident from the Wei
tribe questioned a subdistrict official from the Dambo tribe
about the distribution of the aid.

The Wei resident was reportedly unsatisfied with the
official's responses to his questions, so he struck the official
in the face.

According to Damar, the official told members of his tribe
that he had been assaulted by a Wei tribesman, which provoked
members of the Dambo tribe to attack a Wei neighborhood with
machetes and arrows. In the violence, one Wei resident died and
several people from both tribes were injured.

Damar refuted the police account that the incident was caused
by a disagreement over whether to commemorate Independence Day.

"All of the residents of Kalimo, whether from the Wei or Dambo
tribe, are ardent supporters of the Unitary State of Indonesia,
so they support the competitions commemorating Independence Day,"
he said.

In Lampung, a house was burned down on Tuesday night following
a dispute between two groups of young people in Budi Lestari
subdistrict, South Lampung regency.

The incident began when Hendarto, a resident of hamlet III in
the subdistrict, was riding his motorcycle on Tuesday afternoon.
While he was passing in front of a soccer field in hamlet I, he
crashed his motorcycle.

Several people watching the game, which was being held to
commemorate Independence Day, booed Hendarto, who picked himself
up and took several swings at the crowd.

Budianto, Hendarto's older brother, attempted to calm the
situation but somebody cut him across his face.

The two brothers departed the scene, but later that night
Hendarto, Budianto and dozens of their friends went to the house
of Irwan, who they accused of cutting Budianto. When the group
was unable to locate Irwan, they set his house on fire.

As of Thursday, police were questioning 24 witnesses in the
incident, according to South Lampung Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr.
Budi Susanto.