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)