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Indonesia: Police To Tackle 'Tribal War' In Papua Print
Sunday, 24 January 2010
22 January 2010: Indonesian police have been authorised to take action over a tribal feud in restive Papua province in which three people have been killed with arrows, police said Wednesday.
Police have previously not usually intervened in matters seen as part of the traditional culture in the remote eastern region.

"The Mimika district head and the parliament have given the police the authority to take firm action so from today, we'll arrest anybody who uses the arrow to kill," Mimika district police chief Mohammad Sagi told AFP.

Two men and a 13-year old boy died in separate clashes which started early January allegedly over adultery committed by a man and woman from two families from the Amungme tribe in the village of Kwamki Lama, Mimika district deputy police chief Jeremias Routini said.

The "tribal war" was sparked after the man's family failed to pay compensation of 100 million rupiah (10,800 dollars) to the woman's family, he added.

"Because they did not pay up, a war using bows and arrows broke out," Routini said.

Bows and arrows, spears and machetes are traditionally used by Papuan tribes to settle their disputes.

"Before this, it's hard for police to interfere because the villagers said it's a tribal war and nobody was arrested. But from now, we'll treat this is as a criminal case, not customary issue," Sagi said.

Under Indonesian law, offenders could be charged with premeditated murder, which carries the death sentence, he added.
 
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