Indonesia: hundreds return home following peace deal between community leaders in South Lampung
| Publisher | Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (NRC/IDMC) |
| Publication Date | 16 November 2012 |
| Cite as | Norwegian Refugee Council/Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (NRC/IDMC), Indonesia: hundreds return home following peace deal between community leaders in South Lampung, 16 November 2012, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/50acb4562.html [accessed 20 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Over 1,000 people internally displaced in South Lampung, Sumatra Island, returned home following a peace deal between community leaders. The returnees were among an estimated 2,000 people displaced at the end of October by three days of violent clashes between the local people and Balinese migrants, during which 14 people were killed and hundreds of homes and vehicles were destroyed.
The clashes were triggered by the alleged harassment of two local teenage girls by young Balinese men. 10,000 locals attacked Balinuraga, a Balinese enclave, using Molotov cocktails and other home-made explosive devices. Causes of the sudden eruption of violence may have included economic disparities between the locals and the more wealthy migrants, who represent around 2 percent of the district population and are reportedly poorly integrated. Social jealousy and negative stereotypes may have also played a role.
Some 4,000 police officers were deployed by the government to prevent further violence and ensure the security of the returnees, mostly Balinese migrants. Given the considerable rebuilding effort needed before homes are habitable again, national and local authorities are providing shelter to host the returnees. The Red Cross distributed 10,000 pieces of metal sheeting and the central government promised Rp16 billion (US$ 1.7 million) to rebuild damaged homes in Balinuraga and to help address some of development challenges facing the local population.
