For decades they have migrated to more fertile islands where they become the neighbours that nobody wants

For decades they have migrated to more fertile islands where they become the neighbours that nobody wants.The Dayaks are the original inhabitants of Borneo, who became famous in the 19th century as the typical Victorian "savage". For thousands of years, before the arrival of Dutch and British colonists, they dominated Borneo. Violence between the Dayaks and Madurese has simmered for years - in 1997 up to 3,000 people died in similar conflict, many of them Madurese hunted down, beheaded and cannibalised.What is new this time is the participation of two of west Borneo's other ethnic groups: the Malays and Buginese, who have lived here for centuries, and in relative harmony, as traders, fishermen and sailors. When you see the refugee camps of Pontianak, where the children sit in silent huddles, it is hard to understand the hatred which the Madurese provoke in these people But it is implacable.

"These were once Malay fields," said one Malay boy yesterday, "but the Madurese always take them over When they use force, our dignity rises up We take our heart's revenge, and we don't want them back. We don't want them here."Two years ago, before the other races took up arms, the headhunting and cannibalism expressed itself in magical terms. Dayak war-parties invoked the spirits of war and went into battle in a trance. As borrowed by their Malay comrades, however, the ancient practices have degenerated into pure sadistic butchery.I met a young man carrying a small, bulging plastic bag; "bread" was his answer when I asked what was inside.

But the bag dripped blood, and a few moments later I saw him showing off its contents: the chopped, dark, internal organs of a dead Madurese.So far at least, the Indonesian authorities have appeared indifferent. I saw policemen shaking hands and joking with men who only a few minutes before had been handing out portions of human scalp. Reinforcements from Jakarta were said to be on their way, but they may be too late for the few Madurese who remain in the area.Yesterday afternoon, as dusk came on, the boys with the head were preparing to put it aside and organise for the night's business: an attack on one of the few remaining Madurese villages, across a river a short distance away A war-party was being organised, with one aim in mind. If all went to plan they will have fresh heads to play with this morning..

LAST OCTOBER, Indonesia promised a full inquiry into the murder of two British journalists Five months on, nothing has happened. The Foreign Office minister Derek Fatchett, during a visit to Jakarta, obtained an unprecedented undertaking from President BJ Habibie, to investigate the killing of Brian Peters, 26, and Malcolm Rennie, 30. Both were killed - almost certainly by Indonesian soldiers - while covering the Indonesian invasion of East Timor in 1975. Last week, replying to a written question from the shadow foreign affairs minister Cheryl Gillan, Mr Fatchett said he was "still awaiting a full reply" from Indonesia. But Mr Fatchett told the Independent on Sunday that, despite a series of requests from the British ambassador in Jakarta, there had been no information at all."We have kept reminding the Indonesians ...