Youth shot dead in clash with Flores Police

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.