'Laskar Jihad' to leave training camp on Sunday<\/p>\n
BOGOR (JP): Laskar Jihad (Jihad Force) members surrendered
\ntheir weapons on Friday and vowed to vacate their military-style
\ntraining camp at the Munjul village of Kayumanis in Tanah Sareal
\nDistrict here on Sunday.<\/p>\n
A total of 487 sharp weapons, including sickles and machetes,
\nwere handed over to the police at about 5 a.m. on Friday,
\nfollowing an overnight agreement between Bogor Regional Police
\nchief Col. Edi Darnadi and Jihad Force commander Jaffar Umar
\nThalib.<\/p>\n
The weapons were handed over by the Jihad Force's chief of
\nsecurity, Hendro Tri Setiyono.<\/p>\n
\"Members of Laskar Jihad Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama'ah said they
\nwould leave the training compound in some 40 buses on Sunday at
\n10 a.m. and return to their respective hometowns,\" Bogor Regional
\nPolice chief of detectives Capt. Budi Prasetyo said on Friday.<\/p>\n
Jihad Force members have been taking part in the military-
\nstyle training in the area since April 6.<\/p>\n
As many as 3,150 Muslim youths took part in the training,
\nwhich was organized on a plot of land in Tanah Sareal district
\nbelonging to the Al Irsad Foundation chaired by Jaffar Hilal
\nThalib.<\/p>\n
Locals, however, have expressed fear over the group's
\nactivities and complained that the Jihad Force had harmed the
\nenvironment by using the nearby Cibadak River for sanitation and
\ncutting trees without permission.<\/p>\n
\"But it is clear that they are now no longer in possession of
\nweapons so they are considered harmless.<\/p>\n
\"The training compound will be cleared by the Bogor Regional
\nPolice. They (Jihad Force members) said they needed some time to
\npack,\" Budi said.<\/p>\n
However, he said the Police would continue to monitor site
\nuntil the group left the area on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The group members were reportedly ready to leave the compound
\non Friday because of a water shortage, and relocate to its other
\ntraining camp in Kampung Kebon Kacang in Cileungsi, Bogor
\nregency. However, Jaffar Hilal Thalib asked the group to remain
\nin the camp until further arrangements could be made.<\/p>\n
The camp in Munjul village is the group's largest training
\nground, hosting thousands of so-called jihad volunteers.<\/p>\n
\"But we suspect the group members had been forced into joining
\nbecause one of them managed to flee the Munjul training camp
\nearlier,\" Budi said, declining to give details.<\/p>\n
As of Friday, there was still some activity at the Munjul
\ntraining camp, but group members refused to speak with locals or
\noutsiders.<\/p>\n
The Jihad Force earlier announced the volunteers would leave
\nfor Maluku on April 23 to aid Muslims affected by communal
\nclashes in the province.<\/p>\n
The group has voiced its dissatisfaction with President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid's handling of the Maluku conflict, accusing him
\nof favoring the Christian minority.<\/p>\n
The groups chairman, Ayip Syarifuddin, earlier said there were
\nplans to deploy 10,000 volunteers to Maluku. (21\/edt)<\/p>",
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