1 Aug 2016

Massive clashes in remote Papua leave men dead, many wounded

7:32 pm on 1 August 2016

Clashes in the remote Papua province of Indonesia on the weekend have left three people killed and dozens injured, along with 25 houses burned down.

Police said scores of vehicles were also set alight, as ethnic violence drove hundreds of people to evacuate Timika for the provincial capital, Jayapura.

353 people were staying in the Toli dormitory in Sentani, according to the Jakarta Post.

Joni Wonda, who was coordinating the evacuees, said many others wanted to leave Timika but couldn't get flights.

Mira Kogoya, a 25-year-old evacuee, told the paper the clash went beyond customary rules, with attackers killing everything they found in the street, such as pigs and dogs.

She said they also burned houses, attacked women and children and raped and killed people.

Members of both the military and the police were put on guard in Kwamki Narama district.

The Indonesian Embassy in Wellington reported two men were dead.

The embassy said the clash occurred in Ileale Village, between followers of Hosea Ongomang, of the Amungme/Damal tribe and followers of Genius Kogoya and Thomas Kum, of the Dani tribe.