Makassar. A family in South Sulawesi province was forced to exhume the graves of their relatives and relocate the remains on Wednesday, reportedly due to differences in political preferences with the landowner during a local election.

The incident occurred in Ujung Bulu District, Bulukumba Regency, where the family unearthed the remains from ten graves and transferred them to a public cemetery using plastic sacks.

"There have been disagreements with the landowner because we supported a different [regent] candidate. He demanded that we remove the graves of our grandmother, mother, and other relatives," said Tanti, a family member.

“The oldest grave has been there for 47 years, while the newest is seven years old,” she added.

The Bulukumba election featured incumbent Regent Andi Muchtar Ali Yusuf and his sole challenger, businessman Jamaluddin Syamsir. It remains unclear which candidate the landowner supported.

"We’ve learned a lesson from this. Let’s not name the landowner, as it’s better for us to move forward and relocate the graves,” said Halima, another family member.

Similar incidents have been reported in Bulukumba over the past month, with five other graves being relocated due to political disputes during the local election.

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