The Jakarta Globe, Jan 30 20-16,
Jambi. A clash between Jambi's indigenous Orang Rimba tribe and residents of Kungkai village in Merangin district on Tuesday afternoon left one villager dead from a gunshot wound to the head.
More than 100 officers from the Merangin Police and Indonesian Military (TNI) have been deployed to restore order and prevent villagers from retaliating.
Merangin district head Al Haris visited the village on Wednesday in an effort to calm angry residents.
“We are trying to make peace between the villagers and the Orang Rimba tribe. We are now trying to find the tribal chief [to help with the mediation process]. We are asking residents of Kungkai to calm down, to stop attacking the tribe,” Al said.
He added that he plans to move the Orang Rimba settlement further away from the village to prevent similar incidents from recurring in the the future.
The clash reportedly erupted at around 1.30 p.m. on Tuesday when a young Kungkai resident spat at passing Orang Rimba tribespeople, one of whom allegedly challenged the former to a fight.
Quickly finding themselves surrounded, the tribespeople fled into the forest, said Merangin Police chief Adj. Comr. Munggaran Kartayuga.
Hundreds of villagers then gathered to form a mob and attack the Orang Rimba settlement. Finding it deserted, they proceeded to torch ten huts and seven motorcycles belonging to the tribe.
"As the huts burned, gunshots rang out from behind the bushes. Two villagers were hit: [48-year-old] Darnawis and [21-year-old] Koko. They were immediately transported to the hospital," said Munggaran.
Koko survived the gunshot wound and is currently being treated at RSUD Kolonel Abunjani Banko hospital. Darnawis took a fatal shot to the head and died instantly.
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zo 31 jan 2016 - 7:02