NT group fleeing violence to stay in SA

About 100 people who fled Yuendumu to escape violence in the embattled Northern
Territory community want to go home, but not until it's safe, South Australian
officials say.
An estimated 105 people arrived in Adelaide on Wednesday after defying police advice
not to relocate.
Some went to stay with relatives, with SA officials dealing with 60 adults and 30
children, including a one-year-old.
The group spent Wednesday night together in an Anglicare facility in Adelaide's
north and were due to stay in the same location for a second night.
The SA government said the women and children wanted to remain together, so local
authorities were working on finding alternative accommodation.
A spokesman for Families and Communities Minister Jennifer Rankine said the group
had undergone health checks and other assessments.
Some had minor injuries while two adults were taken to hospital to have routine
dialysis treatment.
"Today was about finding out what the people wanted, and they want to stay until
it's safe to go home," the spokesman said.
"But they absolutely want to go home."
The SA government was working with the NT administration to try to organise their
safe return, the spokesman said.
The exodus was prompted after tensions between family groups in the remote NT
Aboriginal community escalated early last week following the fatal stabbing of a
Yuendumu man in the Warlpiri town camp in Alice Springs.
Yuendumu, about 300km northwest of Alice Springs, was in lockdown for several days
after rioting broke out.
Up to 50 culprits armed with sticks, iron bars, spears and nulla nullas were
involved in a series of brawls.
Four people were injured in the riots and a house and six cars were set on fire,
police said.
Additional NT police, as well as members of the Territory Response Section,
travelled to the community to maintain order.
Police issued travel warnings and urged motorists to avoid travelling to Yuendumu
until order was fully restored.
However, on Tuesday about 100 of the community's 800 residents acted against NT
police advice by relocating to a secret location in Alice Springs before moving on
to Adelaide.
A spokesman for the NT government on Wednesday told AAP the bus to Adelaide was not
arranged or funded by the government.
Opposition MP Adam Giles also denied helping the group leave the territory but said
he had been speaking with elders to try to ease tensions in the area.
The federal government also denied being involved in organising the transportation.
SA Premier Mike Rann said whoever was involved, the decision to send the people to
his state was "stupid".
"When it's all over there's got to be a big message sent to whoever made this stupid
decision to give people a one-way ticket south instead of dealing with the issue,"
Mr Rann said.