R

esidents of Sidondo II village in Biromaru district and Pesaku village in West Dolo district in Central Sulawesi fought again on Sunday.

Twenty-four homes and three motorcycles in Dusun IV Baita hamlet in Pesaku village were destroyed in the clash, which occurred some 22 kilometers south of Palu, the provincial capital.

While two police officers were injured after they were pelted with stones, there were no other casualties, an official said.

Donggala Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Guruh Arif Darmawan told reporters at the scene that the clash was sparked by a border dispute between residents of Pesaku and Sidondo II.

'Each side insisted on its own borders. They refused to back down and the clash eventually broke out,' Guruh said.

Around 300 police officers and 30 soldiers sent to disperse the crowd were greeted by a hail of rocks thrown by residents wielding machetes, spears, arrows and air rifles

Such clashes have broken out several times over the past two weeks, with and security personnel and the local administration attempting to broker a resolution.

'We have brought together the leaders from both villages. They have agreed to make peace, but somehow the clashes keep taking place,' Sigi Regent Aswadin Randalembah said.

Earlier, during a rice harvest in Sidondo village, Central Sulawesi Governor Longki Djanggola urged residents not to be easily provoked and to keep the peace.

'Who would lose, if not ourselves? Rice fields will be damaged and children will be afraid to go outside the house, causing us sadness as well as loss,' Longki said.

Earlier this year, a resident was killed, a journalist was shot with an air rifle and 16 homes were razed in a clash between residents of Binangga and Beka villages in Sigi regency.

Separately, Law and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin symbolically inaugurated on Monday 10 legally-aware villages and sub-districts in Central Sulawesi at the Vatulemo Square in Palu.

The 10 areas are Moengko Baru in Poso regency, Nalu in Tolitoli, Loli Oge in Donggala, Baliara in Parigi Moutong, as well as West Besusu, North Birobuli, South Birobuli, Talise, Tanamodindi and Palupi which are all in Palu city.

The ceremony was held in conjunction with the declaration of Palu as a human rights-aware city.

Amir said the program was aimed at honoring and protecting human rights in Palu and providing residents a sense of security.

The program is the first of its kind in the nation.