Jayapura. One soldier died and several residents, including a deputy district head, were injured when fresh conflicts broke in Wamena in Papua’s Jayawijaya district on Wednesday.
Jayawijaya military commander Col. Ibnu Tri Widodo confirmed that one soldier had died and another was injured after they were caught up in a clash between two groups from different villages at a market in Wamena.
“The brawl was caused by a trivial thing, but it spread after hundreds of other people got involved in the clash,” he said.
According to witnesses, earlier on Wednesday, a passenger of an ojek (motorcycle taxi) refused to pay his fare when he stopped at the market and the ojek driver beat him up.
The passenger went back to his village and returned to the market with hundreds of his friends.
As they could not find the ojek driver, they started to attack residents around the market, culminating in a mass brawl between the two camps.
“The fight broke out with the two camp attacking each other with arrows and knifes,” Ibnu said.
A number of soldiers who lived close to the market arrived and tried to separate the groups.
“But they became the target of the attacks, causing the death of one of our members, First Sgt. Bambang. He was slashed in the head with a knife. Another member was injured after he was hit by stones,” Ibnu said.
John Banua, a deputy regent, was hit by an arrow in his thigh just after he arrived.
After hearing that military and police members were approaching the location, both groups fled.
“We have the situation under control for now,” Ibnu said.
He said that Bambang’s body would be brought to Jayapura. The injured were taken to a nearby hospital.
As of 2 p.m., the situation remained tense and people chose to stay home rather than to continue their activities.
Papua Police Chief Insp. Gen. Bigman Lumban Tobing refused to answer reporters’ questions about the clash. Deputy Chief Brig. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw also dodged questions, telling reporters to ask the chief instead.
The brawl is the latest deadly incident involving residents of the country’s easternmost province. Dozens have been killed in conflicts in the past several months.
In the past year, at least 30 people were killed in election-related fights in Puncak Papua.
Supporters of Elvis Tabuni, the speaker of the Puncak Papua legislative council, and Simon Alom, who led the transitional administration when the district was established, have engaged in clashes since July over an election dispute. Thirteen people were killed in the first clash, while the others died in the sporadic outbreaks of violence that have followed.
On Monday, Elvis and Simon were named suspects for allegedly inciting the violence.
In another Papua district, Tolikara, 11 people have been killed and 201 others injured in poll-related violence that has gripped the district since last month.
The election there, which has since been postponed, involves Golkar-backed incumbent John Tabo and the Democratic Party’s Usman Wanimbo. The conflict began when Tabo rejected the new members of the elections committee.
He questioned their neutrality and demanded the selection of new members.
Police said Tabo mobilized his supporters to stage rallies, prompting Usman’s backers to organize counter-rallies.