|
Heads Still Rolling In Kalimantan
by Kazi Mahmood for IslamOnline
KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Ethnic violence in Central Kalimantan continued on Saturday with five more Madurese killed and several houses set ablaze, while Jakarta stands still confused over Indonesia's leadership.
The bodies of five men were found on the main road to Kotabesi Saturday morning by police in Kalimantan, the scene of extreme ethnic cleansing by rogue ethnic Dayaks set to purify the province of Borneo of all foreign elements.
The victims are believed to have been killed as they came out of hiding from the forest in search for food and crossed paths with a group of Dayaks.
Similar events occur daily in Kalimantan, with Dayaks still roving about armed with lethal weapons searching for Madurese Muslims with the police unable to control the province.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of Madurese settlers are still hiding in forests around Sampit and Pelangkaraya, while others suffer from lack of food and health care in refugee centers around Indonesia.
The multitude of Madurese that left Sampit and relocated on Madura and Java Islands are facing different ordeals, left virtually on their own to fend for themselves.
While Sampit, now almost under control of the police and military, but cleaned of Madurese settlers, is relatively calm, the capital city of Pangkalan Bun on Saturday was engulfed in tension.
Several Madurese migrant houses were set ablaze by Dayaks who vowed to clean Borneo Island, bordering Malaysia and Brunei, of all Madurese settlers.
The burning prompted local residents to be on full alert, patrolling the town and blocking streets leading to and from the city, Antara reported yesterday.
Shots were heard several times as troops and police arrived to control the scene in an effort to restore order and prevent further violence.
Pangkalan Bun police confirmed the burning of two houses abandoned by their Madurese owners. No casualties reported.
Violence between Dayaks and Madurese first erupted in Sampit on February 18th and quickly spread to Palangkaraya and Kualakapuas.
More than 500 people have been killed in the violence so far, mostly Madurese, many of whom were mutilated and/or decapitated.
More than 50,000 Madurese have fled or been evacuated from the province.
The clashes have been blamed on cultural differences between the two communities and the dominance of the Madurese in the local economy.
The latest violence broke out despite reconciliatory efforts sponsored by the central government to end the ethnic clashes.
Relations in some parts of Central Java province between Madurese and Dayaks may be showing signs of improvement living as on Saturday the two groups pledged a joint commitment to strengthen national unity and brotherhood after the recent violence.
Both sides agreed to build brotherhood and maintain unity among their members and called on warring camps in Central Kalimantan to end the conflict and come together to find the best solution to their problems.
Tensions between the two groups, however, could continue to rattle nerves as political indecision in Jakarta continues, sources said.
|
