Only 16,000 Madurese 'left in Sampit'

SAMPIT, Central Kalimantan (JP): There are only 16,000 Madurese people left in the blood-drenched town of Sampit, as an ethnic sweeping campaign against Madurese conducted by Dayak groups was mounted again on Saturday.

Sampit Regent Wahyudi K. Anwar said in his written report dated March 3, that as many as 3,356 Madurese migrants had left for East Java on the Navy war ship KRI Teluk Banten.

Although the situation in Sampit was essentially under control, the Dayak community conducted a sweeping campaign on Madurese ethnics following rumors that a large number of Madurese people living in the nearby town of Pangkalan Bun would seek refuge in Sampit.

"If this happens, there will be more Madurese slain here," a local, who requested anonymity, told The Jakarta Post in Sampit.

The military reportedly failed to stop the sweeping.

In the East Java capital of Surabaya, deputy governor Imam Supardi told a press briefing on Saturday afternoon that two more Navy war ships KRI Teluk Ende and KRI Teluk Sampit carrying more Madurese refugees would arrive at the Tanjung Perak port that night.

"The total number of refugees from Sampit entering Surabaya is expected to reach 46,000," Imam said.

According to regent Wahyudi, the Sampit death toll has reached 357, whereas unofficial records indicate that more than 400 people, mostly Madurese migrants, have been killed during the two weeks of mayhem.

Wahyudi also said that 14 people were seriously injured, and a total of 759 houses had been destroyed, 571 of them burned down.

Until now there has been no explanation as to why the bloodshed took place.

In Surabaya, National Police chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro reiterated that the security personnel in charge of dealing with the disorder had been impartial.

"The Dayak groups say police officers let Madurese people attack them with sickles, while the Madurese have accused us of not stopping violence against Madurese migrants conducted by Dayak people. None of these accusations are true. Please stop such baseless suspicion," he said during a talk show titled "Seeking Solutions to Curb Communal Clashes".

South Kalimantan governor Syachril Darham, East Java deputy governor Imam Supardi and around 200 Madurese figures took part in the event held at the Elmi Hotel.

Respected Madurese figure M. Noer, a former governor of East Java, was also in attendance.

The three-hour forum was more like a trial of Bimantoro, whom the Madurese claimed to have been too sluggish in curbing the genocide in Sampit.

"Why didn't the police take stern measures when the riot was in its initial days? The Police let the riot spread to Palangkaraya. Now who can guarantee that similar clashes will not occur in other areas?" Ali Badri Zaini, a Madurese businessman, said.

Another Madurese businessman, H. Sukri, said he would have sponsored the shipment of 5,000 Madurese to Central Kalimantan to seek revenge. "Fortunately Pak Noer stopped me. He said revenge would deteriorate things, instead of settling the dispute."

Bimantoro stressed that police had been serious in handling the Sampit riot, which reminded him of the Rwanda and Burundi mayhem in Africa.

Syachril Darham said that there were efforts to expel Madurese migrants in his province, following the Central Kalimantan rampage. "Fortunately, we have stopped them. Now I'm here to ask for an East Java administration guarantee that South Kalimantan migrants in Surabaya will be protected." (01/nur/rbw/sur)