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Death Toll in Indonesia's Ethnic Bloodshed Reaches 52: Report
The death toll in Indonesia's ethnic bloodshed hit 52 as of Thursday afternoon, as more bodies were found following a fresh violence in the day in Sampit city, Central Kalimantan province, a report reaching here said.
The local Metro TV station reported that 52 persons have been killed since the bloodshed erupted on Sunday and tension was still high as more than 10,000 locals have been taking shelter at the local military compound and government offices.
The Antara News Agency Thursday quoting unidentified sources as saying more than 100 had died since Sunday.
But spokesman of the National Police (Polri) Brig. Gen. Didi Widayati put the death toll at 32 on February 18-22 clashes, while three were badly wounded, 23 houses set ablaze, 27 houses broken, four cars set on fire and two cars broken.
He said situation in Sampit gradually returned to calm as police sent extra battalion there.
He said of the 80 rioters arrested the day before, 38 rioters were released on Thursday.
"The rest were still held by local police for further investigation," Widayati told Xinhua in a telephone interview on Thursday afternoon.
The Metro TV reported most of the bodies found on Thursday were beheaded and the piece of heads were seen along the Ketapang street in the city.
The Sampit bloodshed erupted on Sunday, involving migrant Madurese (East Java) and local indigenous of Dayak tribesmen.
Chief of the Polri Gen. Suroyo Bimantoro said a local government official was arrested by the police on Tuesday over his alleged masterminding the bloody riots in the province, saying the arrested official was a civilian servant at the local ministry of forestry office. The police has been hunting for another civilian servant believed to be a mastermind.
Meanwhile, the Kompas daily Thursday reported communal riots that struck the Riau province on Sunday has died down on Thursday, but locals have stayed off their villages amid fears that new clashes would rein again.
The Riau riots took place on Sunday at Selatpanjang, Tebing Tinggi district, Bengkalis regency, where a mob ran amok to a local police headquarters, burning it and set ablaze 40 police dormitories.
The rioters also targeted at Chinese ethnics in the province, forcing them to flee to saver area.
It reported at least 2,000 refugees mostly ethnic Chinese left for Palangkaraya city to take shelter there.
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