Mega orders heightened alert in Poso<\/p>\n
Irvan NR and Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu, Central Sulawesi<\/p>\n
President Megawati Soekarnoputri has called on authorities in the
\ntroubled regency of Poso to be on high alert against possible
\nrenewed attacks that could jeopardize the security situation in
\nthe regency.<\/p>\n
\"The president called on security personnel here to monitor
\nthe situation in the regency second by second,\" Rully Lamadjido,
\ndeputy governor of Central Sulawesi province, told reporters
\nafter a teleconference between the president and seven provincial
\ngovernment officials and police on the security situation.<\/p>\n
Rully said during the teleconference, the president also asked
\nabout the latest situation in the troubled regency of Poso, where
\na string of shooting incidents over the past three weeks killed
\ntwo people -- one a local clergyman -- and injured eight others.<\/p>\n
According to Rully, the president expected that security
\npersonnel should be capable of keeping the situation in the
\nregency under control, as they did shortly after the government
\nbrokered the Malino Peace Pact I in 2002.<\/p>\n
The Malino I was signed by all warring parties in Poso after
\nsectarian clashes that erupted in the regency in 1999 had killed
\nat least 2,000 Muslims and Christians and forced other tens of
\nthousands of people to flee to safer areas.<\/p>\n
While conditions largely returned to normal, sporadic attacks
\ncontinued throughout 2003 and claimed several lives.<\/p>\n
Rully said local officials welcomed Megawati's comments and
\nwere ready to beef up security in Poso. \"We will immediately
\nconduct a reassessment in order to improve our methods and note
\nour strengths and weaknesses in securing Poso.\"<\/p>\n
Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Taufik Ridha informed
\nMegawati during the teleconference that the situation in Poso was
\nunder control.<\/p>\n
He said the police had named several suspects in the recent
\nshootings.<\/p>\n
One of the suspects, Risman, is suspected of shooting Rosia
\nPilongo, dean of the Law School at Sintuwu Maroso University. She
\nwas seriously wounded from the shooting two weeks ago.<\/p>\n
Taufik also told Megawati that security personnel in the area
\nwere conducting a door-to-door search for homemade firearms and
\nbombs that could be used by locals to incite violence.<\/p>\n
Separately, the Central Sulawesi Muslim Defense Lawyers filed
\na lawsuit on Tuesday against Poso Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr.
\nAbdi Dharma Sitepu over Risman's arrest.<\/p>\n
The suit was heard on the same day, presided over by judge
\nSugeng Sudrajad. During the hearing, the lawyers requested that
\nthe arrest be declared unlawful and for all charges against
\nRisman to be dropped.<\/p>\n
The lawyers said the policemen who arrested Risman could not
\nprovide strong evidence that Risman was involved in the shooting.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Muslim groups in Poso declared on Wednesday that
\nthey were not responsible for the recent string of attacks that
\nhad targeted Christians.<\/p>\n
Sofyan Farid Lembah, chairman of the Solidarity of Islam
\nRevolutionaries in Poso, said Muslim groups had always taken a
\ndefensive stance and had never taken the initiative in attacking
\nChristians.<\/p>\n
He said the recent attacks might have been perpetrated by
\nirresponsible parties that wanted to undermine the peace in Poso.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/mega-orders-heightened-alert-in-poso-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}