Seven killed in Mamuju clashes

Seven killed in Mamuju clashes

Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Makassar

Seven people were killed and several others seriously injured
in a series of violent clashes among villagers in Batuampa
village, Mamuju regency, some 470 kilometers north of the
provincial capital of Makassar.

Adj. Sr. Comr. Johny S. Supu, chief of the Mamuju Police
Precinct told The Jakarta Post by telephone on Friday that two
victims were killed in the first clash that occurred on Wednesday
while five others died during the following days.

"The local police have deployed a company of security
personnel but the village is still in a tense calm," he said.

He said the police were still on alert as the two conflicting
villages had traded threats of attacks.

"We have held dialogs with local religious figures to help
prevent the conflict from spreading to other villages," he said.

The dead victims were Hamdan, Sjafar, Hasanuddin, Gondrong,
Kamal, Nasir and Iskandar. Several injured victims were still
undergoing intensive treatment in the general hospital in the
regency, he said.

Johny said the clash was triggered by a scuffle between two
youths and it extended to a series of clashes between two bigger
groups in the village.

"Eyewitnesses said that the riots were triggered by a quarrel
between two youths," he said.

Asked about suspects, Johny said no arrests had been made
because a thorough investigation was still in progress.

"According to eyewitnesses, Hamdan and Sjafar instigated the
clash but they were killed in the incident," he said.

He said the police have interviewed 12 villagers who witnessed
the incident but they could not be declared as suspects as the
police were still collecting evidence.