Sibu Ibans curse grave robbers
Sometimes anger knows no boundaries - so it was with a group of Ibans in Sibu division, Sarawak whose ancestors' graves were looted.
More than 200 of them from 12 longhouses in the Penasu/Batu Burak area gathered at a community graveyard to perform a ritual to curse grave robbers this morning.
According to Bernama , this was the second such ceremony held this year.
Sometimes anger knows no boundaries - so it was with a group of Ibans in Sibu division, Sarawak whose ancestors' graves were looted.
More than 200 of them from 12 longhouses in the Penasu/Batu Burak area gathered at a community graveyard to perform a ritual to curse grave robbers this morning.
According to Bernama, this was the second such ceremony held this year.
They sprinkled yellow rice and sought the intervention of their Gods to punish the culprits. Earlier, a miring (offering) ceremony was done by leaders before a boar was sacrificed.
38 graves plundered
According to longhouse chief Andrew Shilling, the robbers had recently plundered 38 graves in the isolated graveyard, about 20km from Sibu town. Shilling said 26 tombs were also "robbed" on Feb 16 this year.
He said ancestors of residents of Rh.Jalak, Rh Mangai, Rh Akong, RhGamang, Rh Randing, Rh.Bayoh, Rh.Daniel, Rh Atin, Rh.Batu, Rh.Juntan and Rh.Jeluing and his own longhouse were buried at the graveyard, which is more than 100 years old.
Similar looting of graves were also reported in Sri Aman division a few years ago.
