Bomb rocks Central Sulawesi Police Headquarters<\/p>\n
PALU, Central Sulawesi (JP): A blast hit Central Sulawesi
\nPolice Headquarters in the provincial capital of Palu on Tuesday,
\nforcing dozens of officers to evacuate the building in panic.<\/p>\n
No fatalities were reported in the incident, which occurred at
\nabout 11:45 a.m. at the same time that dozens of refugees from
\nPoso were outside the provincial police headquarters protesting
\nagainst the police's inability to resolve the prolonged conflict
\nin their hometown, some 220 kilometers east of here.<\/p>\n
Central Sulawesi Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Agus Sugianto
\nsaid the explosion was caused by a homemade bomb in the front
\nyard of the police headquarters.<\/p>\n
The refugees told provincial police deputy chief Sr. Comr.
\nTaufik Ridha that they demanded a Christian leader and that
\npolice officers be arrested for their alleged role in the Poso
\ncommunal conflicts, which have been ongoing for the past 42
\nmonths and claimed hundreds of lives.<\/p>\n
Taufik declined the protesters' request to visit four people
\nwho were arrested last week in possession of thousands of rounds
\nof ammunition, but allowed the Poso people to see the suspects
\nbehind a glass screen.<\/p>\n
Some of the protesters refused to queue up and ran behind the
\nbuilding to take a closer look at the four suspects from the back
\ndoor. By that time the bomb had exploded.<\/p>\n
Taufik quickly ordered a search of the protesters but officers
\nhad to chase some of the refugees who were afraid of being
\nsearched.<\/p>\n
At least two people, who were not protesters, were injured
\nwhen police opened fire and used force to prevent the refugees
\nfrom escaping the search. A local resident, identified as Ahmad,
\n21, was admitted to Undata Hospital to have a bullet removed from
\nhis waist.<\/p>\n
Police apprehended some 50 people and confiscated two pistols
\nalong with eight bullets.<\/p>\n
Coordinator of the rally, Lili, denied allegations that the
\nbomb and weapons were possessed by the protesting refugees.<\/p>\n
\"There must be some infiltrators in our group,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Another Poso figure, Rizal, insisted that nobody participating
\nin the rally was armed.<\/p>\n
\"We are not going into a battlefield. We just want to air our
\naspirations,\" Rizal said.<\/p>\n
Dozens of police continued to search the refugee camp in the
\nIndonesian Youth Committee building, some four kilometers from
\nthe police headquarters. The move ignored Taufik's statement that
\nno further measures against the refugees were necessary.<\/p>\n
At least six refugees were injured from beatings they received
\nwhen resisting police actions and at least 15 people were
\nquestioned following the clash.<\/p>\n
A local legislative councillor, Yus Mangun, condemned the
\nattack and said he would report the incident to President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri, who is scheduled to visit Palu on Friday.
\n(25)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bomb-rocks-central-sulawesi-police-headquarters-1447893297",
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