[Kabar-indonesia] Four killed as fresh tribal warfare flares anew in Indonesia's Papua

[Joyo at aol.com]

Four killed as fresh tribal warfare flares anew in 
Indonesia's Papua

JAKARTA, August 13 (AFP) -- Four people were killed 
when tribesmen in Indonesia's remote Papua province 
battled each other again with bows and arrows, spears 
and machetes, police said Sunday.

Renewed violence erupted early Saturday just 10 days 
after leaders of the Dani and Damal tribes vowed to halt 
clashes that had left 10 dead in 10 days of warfare.

Master Sergeant Bonepai, from the Timika district police, 
said four people were killed and two policemen were 
among the injured. He said there had been no clashes 
on Sunday so far.

The cause of the renewed outbreak of violence remained 
unclear. The first conflict in July was sparked by the 
drowning of a child from the Dani tribe while under the 
supervision of a relative from the Damal tribe.

The battles were staged in an open field on the outskirts 
of Timika town, not far from a huge gold and copper mine 
operated by a subsidiary of US mining giant Freeport-
McMoRan.

Papua is home to groups that engage in elaborate war 
rituals to solve disputes between clans or tribes. Conflicts, 
with each camp taking turns to shoot arrows and throw 
spears, can take days to be resolved.

According to tradition, a death should be avenged by 
another death or else the killer's tribe must pay a hefty 
fine of prized pigs and hold a feast to seal peace.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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