Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – The latest outbreak of ethnic violence which erupted this week in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, may spin out of control as police struggle to control ethnic-Malay gangs who yesterday beheaded several Madurese youths and continued to roam the streets.

Early yesterday afternoon, gangs searching an area where Madurese reside, found four men and hacked them to death. The victims were then beheaded, said a journalist from a local paper.

The journalist added that the police were unable to stop the thousands of youths patrolling the streets as they were outnumbered.

The conflict has been restricted to local ethnic Malay and ethnic Madurese immigrants so far. But residents were concerned that the violence would explode if, as was rumoured, Dayaks from a neighbouring town arrived to help the gangs.

Dayaks, the original inhabitants of Borneo, resent the Madurese because they feel that the government has allocated their land to the Madurese. In 1997 and 1999, the Dayaks assisted the Malays in their attacks against the Madurese.

Social commentators say the conflict, which began with a small traffic accident between a Madurese bus driver and Malay motor cyclist, could easily be inflamed. This is because Madurese migrants have never felt that they have been welcomed by either the indigenous Dayaks or the Malays, or Melayus as they are sometimes referred to here. "The Melayu just want the Madurese to go," said Mr John Bambas, the director for the Institute of Dayakology.

Antagonism between the two ethnic groups has also been exacerbated ever since thousands of Madurese refugees fled to Pontianak 18 months ago from Sambas, 100 km north of Pontianak, following attacks on the Madurese migrants.

Official attempts at reconciliation between the two groups has been difficult. This is because the thousands of Madurese refugees camped in the city's stadium or around the city, have refused government offers to be relocated to areas outside Sambas. On the other hand, the Melayu community in Sambas has consistently refused to allow the Madurese to return.

The Madurese migrants began arriving in Pontianak, Sambas and other parts of Kalimantan 25 years ago. They were brought to the area under a Suharto-era scheme to move Indonesians from overcrowded areas such as Madura and Java to less populated islands.

And like transmigrants in other parts of Indonesia, they are resented. This was because the government provided them with land and housing while the indigenous population in the area often struggled to make a living from farming or had their community land given to the new settlers.

Professor Syarif Ibrahim Al Qadrie, a sociologist from Pontianak University, says relations between the two groups were difficult. "The Madurese are relatively strong willed. If they have a problem, they don't solve it by discussion but with a physical solution," he said.

He added that most of the refugees were very poor and were struggling to survive in the country. The rising crime rate suggested that many had turned to crime to support themselves.

Local leaders were also concerned that the ethnic conflict could be exploited by political leaders. Many have been calling for the West Kalimantan governor to resign and have attacked him over his failure to resolve the refugee crisis.

To quell the violence, Jakarta has sent hundreds of emergency police and began weapon searches. A police brigade of around 600 men arrived yesterday morning.

Streets in Pontianak, the capitol of West Kalimantan, have remained shut and private security guards for shops and businesses are still on alert. Clouds of smoke have also hung over the city as locals burnt Madurese-owned market stalls, cigarette kiosks, and becaks – three – wheeled vehicles – over the last two days.

Until now, police have managed to prevent ethnic Malay gangs from attacking one of the major refugee centres – a stadium on the outskirts of the city – where thousands of Madurese have camped over the last year and a half. However, there have been rumours circulating in recent days that the Malay gangs are planning an attack on the refugees there soon and this has raised the level of tension in the city.