Police troops shoot dead five attackers in Poso<\/p>\n
POSO, Central Sulawesi (JP): At least five people attacking
\nthe police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) troops in the village of
\nToyado in Lage district, Poso regency, were shot dead on
\nThursday.<\/p>\n
Poso Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Djasman Baso confirmed the
\nclash, but declined to go into details.<\/p>\n
Djasman said attacks on police troops and villagers had been
\nconducted sporadically by unidentified assailants.<\/p>\n
\"We have found it difficult to anticipate. The area of Poso is
\nvery large and it is not easy for police troops to cover all of
\nits corners,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The situation in Poso was still not under control on Thursday
\ndue to the recurrent clashes. Daily activities have still not
\nreturned to normal with most schools, offices and markets
\nremaining closed on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"The trans-Sulawesi highway is still fragile, especially the
\nMakassar-Mangkutana-Tentena-Poso route. Unknown armed groups have
\nbeen intercepting cars using the route,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Central Sulawesi Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Agus Sugianto
\nconcurred, saying that limited availability of communications
\ndevices had obstructed the security officers from responding
\nswiftly.<\/p>\n
He also said that transportation had posed a major problem.<\/p>\n
Agus said earlier that Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig.
\nGen. Zainal Abidin Ishak had officially requested the assistance
\nof six companies of police troops and four companies of Army
\ntroops from North Sulawesi Police headquarters and South Sulawesi
\nMilitary Command.<\/p>\n
According to Agus, some 15,000 Army and police personnel are
\nnow safeguarding Poso.<\/p>\n
With the escalating tension in Poso, at least three factions
\nat the local legislative council have suggested that civil
\nemergency status be declared in the regency. They also demanded
\nthat Poso regent Muin Pusadan and Central Sulawesi governor
\nAminuddin Ponulele resign for failing to curb the violence.<\/p>\n
The legislators said that the renewed violence in Poso was
\npolitically motivated. The criticism took place after the
\nappointment of Poso regency secretary Awad Al-Amri.<\/p>\n
Legislators claimed that the governor and regent, who
\nrecommended the appointment, had gone against community sentiment
\nby appointing a Muslim to the post.<\/p>\n
The blame<\/p>\n
The provincial and regency administrations' failure to settle
\nthe conflict between Muslims and Christians in Poso has
\nfrustrated both warring parties, who now blame each other for
\ncausing the situation to deteriorate.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) of the Central
\nSulawesi chapter, Sofyan Farid Lembah, said on Wednesday that the
\nChristian groups had ruined peace deals the groups had agreed to.<\/p>\n
\"They (the Christians) have refused to reconcile. On many
\noccasions they have broken the peace deals,\" Lembah said.<\/p>\n
Lembah also asserted that the Christians were still aspiring
\nto rule the regency as they did 20 years ago, with most key posts
\nin the administration held by Christians.<\/p>\n
Rev. Renaldy Damanik said in a separate interview on Wednesday
\nthat a Christian delegation of 30 people from Tentena was
\nattacked by Muslims while traveling to the legislative council.<\/p>\n
\"The most sickening event was that the police troops aimed
\ntheir guns at the 30 people and shouted bad words to them,\"
\nDamanik said, adding that the attack took place in the village of
\nSayo.<\/p>\n
Damanik said that the attack on Christians by Muslims in the
\nvillage of Maleu Lage on July 1 had triggered the new violence in
\nPoso. In the attack, two Christians were killed and 160 houses
\ntorched, forcing 1,670 people to flee the area, Damanik said.<\/p>\n
Damanik also criticized the government for being too sluggish
\nin dealing with the violence.<\/p>\n
\"The Poso regent must resign for that,\" he said. (24\/sur)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/police-troops-shoot-dead-five-attackers-in-poso-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }