Village feud kills three

Village feud kills three

KUPANG, East Nusa Tenggara: Three people died and four others were seriously injured in a clash between residents of the villages of Semang and Loha in Manggarai regency, West Flores.

Six-year-old Bernardus Riting and 20-year-old Yustina Mihul were burned alive, while Tedeus Tamer, 45, was killed in the feud which originated from conflicts over the use of ancestral land.

The incident itself started with an attack on Loha village by some 50 Semang residents on Saturday.

Brandishing spears and machetes, the Semang people came at about 4 a.m. and immediately set some houses on fire.

Chief of the Manggarai police office Lt. Col. Oka Djaja Kusuma said a number of police have been deployed in the area since Sunday to prevent further clashes.

Regent Gaspar Parang Ehok said his officials have frequently tried to convince the villagers to manage ancestral land together amicably, but without success, and clashes have continued. Similar incidents occurred in 1992, 1993 and 1994, killing and injuring a number of villagers and destroying houses. (yac/swe)