Changhua: Four more Indonesian nationals have been sentenced for their involvement in a violent clash between rival martial arts groups in Changhua County. This follows the 11.5-year prison sentence handed to the main suspect, according to a ruling released Friday by the Taiwan Changhua District Court.

According to Focus Taiwan, the court has sentenced four members of the IKSPI martial arts group, composed of Indonesian migrant workers, to prison terms ranging from three to seven months. These individuals will be deported after serving their sentences. The verdict remains open to appeal.

The incident occurred on September 2, 2023, when over 70 members of the IKSPI group, armed with weapons such as expandable batons and sickles, convened near the Changhua train station to confront members of the PSHT group, another martial arts faction comprising Indonesian migrant workers. The groups had been embroiled in an online dispute related to martial arts and had agreed to meet in Changhua for discussions. Initially, 29 Indonesian nationals were taken into custody, with 15 ultimately identified as suspects.

During the confrontation, a bystander named Ario Eko Cahyono, also an Indonesian national, was mistakenly identified as a rival and was beaten by IKSPI member Kumaedi, resulting in multiple lacerations. Kumaedi received a seven-month prison sentence for assault and participating in a violent public gathering, while the three others received sentences ranging from three to four months.

Previously, the main defendant, Rivan Antony Putra Hutafea of the IKSPI group, fatally stabbed a member of the PSHT group during the same incident. Initially sentenced to 12 years and 6 months for murder last year, the Taichung branch of the High Court reduced the charge on appeal to manslaughter, sentencing him to 11 years and 6 months. The court considered the fact that Hutafea had stabbed the victim only once and had not intended to kill him. The ruling is final, and Hutafea will be deported after serving his sentence.