Two tribesmen beaten to death

JAMBI: Two Kubu tribesmen living in the Sei Ruan Ilir village next to the Batanghari river here were beaten to death in a brawl late last month.

Yusuf Kacai, the head of the village some 150 kilometers west of Jambi, told Antara Saturday that it was the first brawl ever between villagers and members of the isolated tribe.

Yusuf said that Mungkar, 44, and Ngambur, 28, both leaders of the Kubu tribe were killed during a clash between the tribespeople and residents of three villages -- Sei Ruan Hulu and Hilir, and Silingkar -- in the Perwakilan Muara Sebo Ulu subdistrict in Batanghari regency.

According to the news agency, the two men had often extorted money from the villagers. (aan)