Ethnic violence has broken out again in West Kalimantan province, while hundreds of people in South Sulawesi province have run amok during a protest demanding the creation of a new province.

Reports said the violence in West Kalimantan erupted on Monday in Karimunting village, Sambas district, when a migrant from East Java's Madura island stabbed a member of the local Malay community due to a "misunderstanding". Angry Malay villagers retaliated by torching three houses of Madurese, prompting 200 Madurese to flee their homes.

Police on Wednesday said they had brought a stop to the violence and were trying to convince the Madurese to return. "The police acted quickly and were able to prevent the violence in Karimunting from spreading further on Monday," West Kalimantan police spokesman Didi Hardi was quoted as saying by Agence France-Presse.

He said the man who stabbed the Malay was in police custody, while the wounded man was recovering in hospital.

About 3,000 people are believed to have died in West Kalimantan in 1999 during bloody clashes between indigenous Dayaks, supported by Malays, and the Madurese. The migrants from Madura are widely resented because they receive assistance from the government and are accused of occupying traditional lands.

About 500 people were killed in similar clashes erupted in neighboring Central Kalimantan province in February 2000.

In other news from Kalimantan, nine people reportedly drowned on Sunday when a commuter speedboat they were traveling in capsized in a crocodile-infested river.

AFP reported that another four passengers are still missing after the accident in the Malinau River in East Kalimantan. Police said the fiberglass boat flipped over and capsized after hitting some logs in the water. Twenty passengers managed to swim to the riverbank and were rescued by a passing speedboat.

'West Sulawesi Province' About 300 people from the Mandar ethnic group in the western part of South Sulawesi province ran amok at the governor's office on Wednesday during a protest to demand the creation of West Sulawesi province, state news agency Antara reported.

Claiming to represent various Mandar communities, the protesters said the new province should comprise the four districts of Polmas, Majene, Mamuju and North Mamuju. They said the House of Representatives in Jakarta has given the green light to the establishment of the new province.

When Governor Amin Syam and his deputy were reportedly unavailable to meet the demonstrators, the mob turned violent, smashing windows and doors of the office.

"We, the people of Mandar, demand that the South Sulawesi administration allow us to develop our West Sulawesi province independently," one of the demonstrators was quoted as saying by Antara.

He said the new province should be formed immediately to fulfill the aspirations of the Mandar people in the four districts. He also warned the South Sulawesi administration not to obstruct efforts to establish the new province. Police arrived after the crowd had vandalized the building and said the group had no permission to hold the rally. It was unclear whether any of the protesters were arrested.

The demonstrators reportedly left the governor's office at noon and headed to the provincial legislative assembly to stage a similar rally.

Indonesia since 1976 had consisted of 27 provinces. But the fall of authoritarian former president Suharto has led to demands for greater regional autonomy, resulting in the formation of several new provinces. Suharto's fall also resulted in the secession of East Timor from the republic.