Police halt fresh outbreak of ethnic violence

Police halt fresh outbreak of ethnic violence

JAKARTA: The Police West Kalimantan said Wednesday they have
quelled a fresh outbreak of ethnic violence in which members of
the local Malay community attacked migrants from Madura island.

"The police acted quickly and were able to prevent the
violence in Karimunting from spreading further on Monday," said
West Kalimantan police spokesman Didi Hardi.

He said angry Malay villagers had set three houses of Madurese
ablaze after a Madurese man stabbed a Malay. Some 200 Madurese
fled their homes and police were now trying to get them to
return.

The man who stabbed the Malay following a misunderstanding was
now in police custody in the nearby town of Singkawang, Hardi
said. The wounded Malay is recovering in hospital in the
province.

An estimated 3,000 people died in 1999 during months of
clashes in the province between indigenous Dayak tribesmen,
supported by Malays, and the Madurese.

Similar bloody clashes erupted in the neighboring province of
Central Kalimantan in 2000. --AFP