Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – The recent ethnic bloody violence in central Kalimantan was orchestrated by two civil servants who were furious at having lost their jobs in a regional autonomy shake-up, according to the police.

National Police Chief General Suroyo Bimantoro said the two civil servants had paid 20 million rupiah (S$3,800) to a group of men to "kill people and burn houses" because they were hoping that in the ensuing violence "they would be needed again and so would get their old jobs back".

Gen Bimantoro said that several of the native Dayaks who had been detained over the violence had admitted they had been paid to attack the Madurese settlement.

Local Dayak leaders said simmering tension between the two groups often erupted in violence with the slightest provocation because of decades-long disputes existing since the Suharto era.

"The Dayaks are marginalised on their own land. The forest is their traditional land but the people don't have access rights to enter the forest, they have nowhere to live or no way of making money," said Mr Anslemus Mecer from Pancur Kasih, a non-government group dealing with Dayak land disputes.

Mr Anselmus said the Suharto-era practice of forcing the Dayaks violently from their land to make way for the Madurese settlers had sown deep-rooted bitterness. Moreover, the Madurese were often given jobs in new plantations which occupied Dayak land, he said.

Dayak leaders said their people were also angered that traditional community laws had not been respected by the provincial governments. "Real autonomy can only be realised with traditional community law," said Dayak leader Emil Gusni.

But commentators and Dayaks alike blame recurring clashes between the Madurese and the Dayaks on the Madurese. "The migrants don't understand the Dayak's situation and don't respect their land rights," Mr Anselmus said.