E

xcept for a violent clash in Buleleng, Balinese Hindus and Muslims enjoyed a generally peaceful Nyepi on Friday.

Hindu high priest Pandita Mpu Jaya Acharyananda said that Nyepi was a time for Balinese Hindu devotees to renew their lives and revitalize their spiritual commitment.

Hindus stayed within their homes in accordance with Nyepi’s prohibition on venturing outside, while Muslims, who are obliged to perform the collective Friday prayer, walked to their nearest mosques and performed their religious duty in a more subdued atmosphere.

The clash took place at around 1:30 a.m. in downtown Seririt, Buleleng regency. The local police played down the clash as a small incident involving two groups of drunken youngsters. Sources at the location, however, painted a different picture.

The sources revealed that the clash was triggered by a group of motorcycle-riding youths from Petemon, a predominantly Hindu village, who rode along Jl. Diponegoro, location of the predominantly Muslim Kampung Madura, in a provocative manner and issued verbal challenges for a fight.

They later assaulted local youths and injured three of them. When the Kampung’s residents fought back, the youths fled only to return later with more people.

In the ensuing street brawl, several houses, roadside stalls and a car were damaged. The local police and
soldiers had to discharge warning shots to disperse the mob.

Security forces regained full control after the arrival of riot police from the regency capital of Singaraja. No fatalities were recorded in the clash.

“We are maintaining our presence at the scene to prevent any further trouble,” Buleleng Police’s chief of operations Comr. Ida Bagus Wedana Jati said.

Udayana Military Command spokesperson Col. Wing Handoko confirmed that a platoon from the Army’s elite Raider 900 battalion had been deployed to the location following a request from the Buleleng Police.

“It is deeply regrettable that this holy day was marred by violence,” Handoko said.

A heavy presence of fully-armed riot police and soldiers was aimed at preventing the brawl from escalating into an inter-village clash, or worse, sectarian conflict.

In other regions in Bali, Muslims performed their Friday prayers in peace. In Renon, Denpasar, Muslims prayed at four separate locations. The congregations did not use loudspeakers and the participants were told to return home by 2 p.m.

“Three of the four places are private homes and not places of worship. We organized the prayers there so that participants wouldn’t have to walk too far from their houses,” local Muslim figure Winarno said.

In Klaten, Central Java, thousands of Hindus joined the Tawur Agung Kesanga ritual as part of celebrating Nyepi at the eastern yard of the Hindu Prambanan Temple on Thursday.

“This year’s Nyepi celebration is aimed at purifying mother earth so Indonesia will be free from disasters,” chairman of the celebration’s organizing committee, I Nyoman Suarta, said.

In anticipation of increased passenger numbers during the long weekend, state-owned railway company PT KA’s Operation Region VI Yogyakarta has deployed an extra train.

“We are operating an additional executive class train, the KA Ekstra Arya Dwipangga,” PT KA’s Operation Region VI’s public relations division head Eko Budianto said.

Kusumasari Ayuningtyas, Peni Widarti and Slamet Susanto contributed to this story.