Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura/Jakarta – Ahead of a planned tribal celebration for peace, the situation in Timika, the capital of Mimika regency, abruptly turned tense on Monday following the killing of two migrant people on Sunday evening.

Although the incident had no apparent connection to the earlier violence that ensued from the recent inauguration of Central Irian Jaya province – now retracted – the local police and military have tightened security in the capital to avoid a possible open war between indigenous Papuans and the migrant community.

The situation was worsened by rumors that four migrant women had been raped by Papuans.

Some 500 riot police were deployed to guard the two opposing groups and to launch an operation to disarm everyone in Timika.

Timika Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Paulus Waterpaw told The Jakarta Post by telephone from Timika that the situation heated up again on Monday when a group of Papuans opposing the new province attacked a number of ojek (motorcycle taxi) drivers with spears and arrows.

"Two were killed instantly, while four others are in critical condition at Mitra Masyarakat Hospital," he said. The body of Sabaruddin was flown on Monday to his home town in Makassar, South Sulawesi, at the request of his family, while Ismail, who came from Buton, South Sulawesi, was buried in Timika.

Waterpaw explained that the attack was triggered when a migrant ojek driver stabbed a Papuan man, Bustami Gomo, for refusing to pay his fare. "Feeling that he'd lost face, the ojek driver took a machete and stabbed Bustami in his stomach and slashed his head, then ran away," he said.

Bustami survived the attack and reported the incident to his tribe. An hour later, dozens of Papuans attacked ojek drivers in the area, claiming that they were spying for security authorities. Waterpaw said the incident was criminal in nature and had nothing to do with the new province. Police were still searching for the ojek driver to look into the matter further.

Chairman of the Mimika administration Andareas Anggaibak and Tom Beanal, secretary-general of the Papua Presidium Council and chairman of the Amungme Tribal Development Institute, also stressed that the latest incident was not related to the conflict over the new province.

Mimika regent Klemen Tinal condemned the killing of the migrants, saying the people could not take the law into their own hands.

Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Budi Utomo confirmed that he had ordered Mimika police to disarm everyone in Timika and to ban ojek drivers from working nights to prevent the conflict from turning into an open feud between Papuans and migrants.

"In addition, all tribal and informal leaders, religious figures and representatives of women's and youth groups have been called to a meeting, where we will explain the incident and ask the leaders to control their own tribes ahead of the peace process," he said.

The rival groups are ready to conduct a tribal ceremony "to end the conflict [over the new province] and to discuss the detainees' release and compensation for all the victims during the clash", he said. The police have donated 14 pigs and 30 sacks of rice for the ceremony.

In Jakarta, National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar asserted that the bloody incident on Sunday evening was "an ordinary crime." In Makassar, a score of Papuan students staged a demonstration, demanding the government cancel the division that triggered the bloody conflict of the past week.

Since the inauguration of the new province on August 23, at least five people have been killed and dozens injured a week of clashes between supporters and opponents of the split.

Indigenous Papuans, mostly from the highlands of the province, came down and attacked those supporting the new province, including migrants.