Villagers seek refuge from attack

Villagers seek refuge from attack

Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara

In fear of attack by a former prointegration militia, hundreds
of Tublopo villagers, including elderly people, children and
women, in the district of West Amanuban, Timor Tengah Selatan
regency, have sought refuge in the nearby forest.

Local figure Yohanes Marthen Selan said on Tuesday that the
people had been leaving their homes since last week, following
the death of a member of a former prointegration militia last
Wednesday.

Matheos da Crus, a former militia member, was mobbed to death
by locals who suspected him of committing adultery.

The villagers were hiding in the forest and appeared during
the day only to feed their cattle before returning to the forest
at night, Marthen Salen said.

The volatile situation had attracted the attention of the
local administration, which sent regency secretary Ruben Izaac to
investigate what was taking place in the village.

Izaac, who visited the village on Sunday, called on the
villagers to return to their homes as rumors that the former
prointegration militia would attack the village had not
materialized.

Riding in a car and holding a megaphone, Izaac entered the
forest calling on the villagers to come out and return home,
Marthen Salen said.

"But none of them responded as it is not clear if the
administration will guarantee their security. They said they
believed that an attack by the former militia would occur some
time," Marthen Salen.

Ruben told reporters after the visit that he had cooperated
with local police to protect the villagers' security.