Traditional Ceremony in East Flores Turns Violent Over Old Grudge, 3 Motorbikes Damaged and Burned

A meeting between two families to discuss a traditional belis (bride price) turned violent in Ile Pati village, West Adonara district, East Flores, NTT, on Wednesday night. Three motorbikes were burned and damaged, while a pickup truck was also targeted. Police subsequently detained five suspected perpetrators. East Flores Police public relations head AKP Eliezer A Kalelado said the incident began when a group of 16 people from the male family of Adrianus Ola Liku Duli from Kenotan village arrived in Ile Pati to meet Noviana Benga and her family at the house of Antonius Mau. The meeting was originally scheduled for 8:00 pm WITA to discuss the traditional belis. However, the situation changed around 9:00 pm WITA when a group of youths from Ile Pati gathered on the road in front of Antonius Mau’s house. They shouted at the group from Kenotan, demanding they come out of the house. The action was allegedly triggered by an old grudge and led to threats of assault. According to a statement from the perpetrators, in March, when a family from Ile Pati went to Kenotan village to mourn a deceased person, on their way home they were pelted with stones by youths from Kenotan. Citing this reason, the perpetrators sought revenge. The mob then damaged three motorbikes and one pickup truck. One Vixion motorbike was also set ablaze during the incident. Around 10:00 pm WITA, West Adonara Police moved to the location with five personnel. Officers immediately evacuated 16 people from the groom’s family. East Flores Police also deployed Brimob reinforcements from East Adonara to secure the incident location. Following the arrival of backup personnel, the situation was quickly brought under control and the 16 individuals were evacuated, along with evidence of three motorbikes and one pickup truck. Early on Thursday morning, police conducted a sweep of residents’ homes in Ile Pati village and successfully detained five suspected perpetrators. The five individuals were later taken to the East Flores Police station for further investigation. Based on reports, the total damage included one burned motorbike, two heavily damaged motorbikes, and one damaged pickup truck.