[Kabar-indonesia] Indonesian police separate warring Papuan tribes

[Joyo at aol.com]

Agence France-Presse
Saturday September 2, 2006

Indonesian police separate warring Papuan tribes

Hundreds of Indonesian police are trying to prevent further fighting between 
two warring Papuan tribes after three people were killed, and more than a 
dozen injured in remote Papua, police said.

Villagers from two different tribes began fighting with spears, arrows and 
traditional machetes early Friday after a woman from the Damal tribe was killed 
by an arrow, allegedly fired by a neighboring Dani tribesman, said police.

More than 100 riot police, or Brimob, as well as another 120 ordinary police 
were attempting to enforce a ceasefire between the two warring groups in 
Kwamki Lama district, Timika, not far from the giant Freeport gold and copper mine, 
a police spokesman said.

"We have tried to separate them, using Brimob, now we have one company of 
Brimob, and four (standard) police units on standby there," Kartono 
Wangsadisastra told AFP.

Police said they hoped to begin peace talks between the two tribes on 
Saturday.

"We are calling in the traditional leaders in an effort to prevent any 
further conflict," said Wangsadisastra.

Friday's fighting killed three men, including a Papuan priest, and wounded 24 
others, many seriously, added Wangsadisastra.

"Lots of them (tribesmen) were seriously injured, because they were pierced 
by arrows," he said, adding they had been taken to Timika hospital.

Friday's battle between Dani and Damal tribesman was the second in as many 
months for villagers of Kwamki Lama.

The death of a Dani child prompted a tribal war last month which killed nine 
people.

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

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