Beijing - Extra troops are to be sent to Borneo by Indonesia in an attempt to halt the spread of ethnic violence, which has already killed up to 400 people, writes Miriam Donohoe, Asia Correspondent.
Officials in Jakarta said yesterday they would declare a state of civil emergency in central Kalimantan, the scene of brutal slaughters in the last week, if it were deemed necessary.
The Indonesia government has asked the local government in Kalimantan to assess the situation over the next three days.
The killings started more than a week ago when indigenous Dayaks attacked immigrants from the island of Madura. About 30,000 migrants, mainly Madurese, have been forced to flee the provincial Kalimantan town of Sampit, the scene of most of the unrest.
Meanwhile, Malaysia has stepped up controls of its border to prevent an influx of refugees.