Seven killed in Manggarai riots

Seven killed in Manggarai riots

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: At least seven people were
reportedly killed, dozens others injured and 37 houses set ablaze
when two villages in Manggarai regency, East Nusa Tenggara
province were involved in communal clashes earlier this week.

The clash stemmed from a dispute over customary land bordering
the villages of Kadel and Tontong Desa Watulungor in Poco Ranaka
subdistrict, which led residents of the two villages to attack
one another. Among the victims of the bloody clash was a 5-year-
old child identified as Frans Nasus.

Some of the residents of the two villages were reported to
have fled their settlements to seek refuge in neighboring
villages for fear of revenge attacks.

In the meantime, a local paper reported that during the last
11 months, clashes between the two villages had claimed 14 lives,
injured dozens of people and burnt down 56 houses. Material
losses are estimated to have reached tens of millions of rupiah.
--JP