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communal conflict broke out in a hamlet of East Sentani district, Jayapura, when people from a neighboring village reportedly set 15 houses on fire early Tuesday while residents were in bed.

The people attacked Hansambe hamlet after the head of their village was allegedly mugged earlier by several youths from the hamlet.

“I heard noises like the sound of someone being attacked. Then I woke my father up. I was only able to grab my bag in which I placed my cell phone. We left the house through the back door and ran up the hill. The size of crowd was unclear because it was dawn and quite dark when they started burning the houses,” said Maria Monim, 45, on Wednesday.

A local reverend, Mehuwe Meltari, who was with his father, was beaten by the mob before they burned down his house.

“I called out to them to speak, but they hit me and my father. Then they set the house on fire. We fled to save ourselves,” he said.

Mehuwe suffered a broken left hand and a bruised nose.

“Our only thought was to save ourselves and we could only save the clothes on our backs,” he said.

Maria, along with 15 families, watched their houses go up in flames from behind shrubbery without being able to save their belongings. The only belongings they had left were the clothes they were wearing.

The attackers carried spears, machetes and bows and arrows.

Besides burning houses, palm trees in the front yards of their houses were also cut down. The mob also set alight a post used by Hansambe youths to collect entrance fees from people visiting the Telaga Cinta Lake recreational site.

The attack took place a day after the village head from Kemtuk Gresi was allegedly stopped, forced to hand over his money and assaulted by a group of drunk youths from Hansambe hamlet.

The village head then reported the incident to residents in his village, after which the attack ensued.

As a result, 15 of the 18 houses in the hamlet, inhabited by 65 residents, were razed.

Residents whose houses were burned are currently staying with relatives in Putaly village, located 5 kilometers away.

“The police have arrested seven people for carrying out the attack and burning houses, as well as three people who assaulted the Kemtuk Gresi village head,” said Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Paulus Waterpauw.

Those who attacked the village head, added Waterpauw, would be charged under Article 170 of the Criminal Code, while those involved in the attack and arson would be charged under articles 160 and 406 of the Criminal Code.

Jayapura regency secretary Yerry F. Dien said his office would immediately meet with the community in Hansambe and Kemtuk Gresi hamlets to resolve the issue amicably.

“The Jayapura administration will immediately take remedial measures to prevent the trouble from spreading. We have already provided food aid and collected data from victims whose houses were burned. The government will rebuild their homes,” he said.

Hansambe hamlet youth Rudy Sokoy said he believed the attack was not simply revenge for the attack on the Kemtuk Gresi village head but as a result of envy over the income from the Telaga Cinta Lake recreational site, as youths operating the entrance post could earn an income of between Rp 500,000 (about US$37) and Rp 1.5 million daily.

“Ever since the site began to be flocked by visitors two years ago, residents of Putaly Abaar and Putaly villages have been fighting over the right to manage the location. We strongly believe the problem is simply a dispute over the site,” said Rudy.