Youth shot dead in clash with Flores Police

Jacob Herin, The Jakarta Post, Flores

Police in East Flores regency clashed with local youths early on Monday, leaving at least one person killed and 12 others wounded.

The clash started at around 10 p.m. on Sunday and continued until early Monday in the regency's capital city of Larantuka, East Nusa Tenggara province.

Ali Mustafa Atapukan, 22, was shot dead in the clash, while four other local youths -- Erik Atapukan, 33, Ibrahim, 28, Hajin K. Boli, 24, and Anis Bethan, 19, sustained gunshot wounds and are receiving intensive medical treatment at the Larantuka General Hospital.

The 12 injured people included eight police officers -- Luis Karel, Milu, Yopin, Andi Paskal, Mohamad, Roja, Josef Sari and Melki Tukan. All suffered minor wounds after being pelted with stones.

The motive behind the bloody clash remains unclear.

East Flores Police chief Adj. Comr. J. Sinurat said on Monday the scuffle started when a police officer was stopped by a group of youths asking for something on his way home in Kampung Baru village, located around 100 meters from his office.

The police officer rejected the request, prompting the youths to kick him. He later returned to his office to report the case to his superior but the attackers ran after him and hurled stones at the building.

In a retaliation attack, the police fired warning shots. The shots, however, failed to stop the youths from rioting. Police eventually fired at the crowd killing Ali Mustafa and injuring four of his friends.

But eye witnesses at the scene -- Iskandar, 65, and Matheus Watu, 54, -- said the clash was provoked by a police officer who was wearing only shorts and rode a motorcycle.

He then stopped at a sidewalk kiosk and asked the owner about the whereabouts of youth gangs in Kampung Baru. As the trader was unable to answer the question, the police officer kicked his kiosk and pelted stones at nearby houses.

Local residents later appeared and approached him. Some of them tried to beat him, but some others stopped them and took him to a house for protection.

A crowd of angry villagers stormed the local police station located near the site of the incident, where police personnel fired shots at them.

The witnesses called for an investigation into the clash and a firm action against all those involved, so as to prevent further such incidents from occurring.