[Kabar-indonesia] Papua's Tribal Warfare Governed by Age-Old Rules

[JoyoNews at aol.com]

The Jakarta Post
Thursday, August 3, 2006

Age-old rules govern tribal warfare 

Markus Makur, The Jakarta Post, Mimika

News of the deadly tribal clashes in Papua's Mimika regency shocked some in 
other parts of the country, with reports of the use of spears and bows and 
arrows an unsettling throwback to a bygone era.

But tribal warfare is still the accepted means to settle disputes for the 
seven tribes living in the regency. 

The latest clash, with 10 people killed and dozens injured in Kwamki Lama 
village, Mimika Baru district, involved the Dani and Damal tribes. It could, 
however, have been any of the groups, with the playing out of the conflict 
following age-old patterns of a burst of violence followed by negotiations. 

Kwamki Lama village was established in 1978, with residents relocated from 
Banti village in Tembagapura district by PT Freeport Indonesia, a subsidiary of 
the huge U.S. gold and copper mining company Freeport-McMoran, and the 
government. 

Most people originally lived on the slopes of Mount Lorenz, including members 
of the Amungme, Damal, Dani, Nduga and Moni, Mee/Ekari tribes (the Kamoro 
tribe lives along the coastal areas of Mimika regency). The population has 
reached about 20,000 today, with most families eking out a living from subsistence 
farming or panning for gold from the Freeport mine's tailings. 

Economic development and education are still lacking in the area. 

Although the various tribes' members now live together in close proximity, 
it's often an uneasy and potentially explosive mix. They retain their individual 
dialects and customs, including tribal warfare. Tribesmen continue to carry 
traditional weapons to protect themselves against attacks by wild animals, and 
human enemies. 

Kwamki Lama elder Philiphus Wakerma said exact rules governed conflicts, 
including that the battle zone must be limited to a specific area. 

"A tribal conflict usually ensues from friction between two tribes or when a 
family member of a tribe abruptly dies," he told The Jakarta Post. "The cause 
of death is later determined through the traditional way of shooting an arrow 
in the air, and whoever is touched by the arrow is suspected of being the 
killer." 

A member of the victim's side would convey the signal for the start of the 
war to the opposite group, he added, in accordance with tradition. The campaign 
is led by a war chief, and the duration of the hostilities is agreed upon by 
both sides. 

Each tribesman is provided with bows and arrows, machetes and spears before 
leaving for war. 

Wakerma said the bodies of any people killed during the conflict must be 
immediately cremated to prevent their restless souls from haunting family members. 

"The victim's camp later decides whether or not to continue the war and 
demands compensation for the victim in the form of prized livestock or money," he 
said. 

"The standard rules also state that a war resumes when the number of victims 
on either side is disproportionate, and that children and women must not be 
harmed during a war." 

Damal tribal chief Elminus Mom said the bow, arrows and machetes of a fallen 
victim must not be burned because they were considered tokens of respect. 

Before a lasting peace can be achieved, each tribe must participate in the 
Inambe Agi -- a ritual to dispense with hostility and hatred -- after a 
cease-fire. The ceremony is usually held on the field where the battles were fought. 
It must be carried out before the stone-burning ritual, which is the peak of 
the effecting of peace. 

"The breaking of the bow line and arrow ritual is held on an open field by 
both warring tribes' war commanders. The ceremony marks the end of the tribal 
war, and signifies that the problems have been resolved," Elminus said. 

Hostilities end when the victim's family on the losing side receives payment. 
"Compensation is usually in the form of prized pigs or a certain amount of 
money agreed upon by both parties involved in the war," he said. 

Once all the requirements have been fulfilled, enmity is put aside and 
traditional brotherhood returns. 

The stone-burning ritual is later held on an open field, with a particular 
number of pigs roasted and eaten based on the agreement between the tribes. 

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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