Poso Muslims return home, Christians take refuge<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Increasing numbers of Muslims from Poso, Central Sulawesi had
\nleft refugee camps in Palu for their hometowns to celebrate Idul
\nFitri, while a wave of families who fled recent clashes in Poso
\narrived in Manado, North Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
At least 500 out of a total of 19,000 Poso Muslims who had
\nbeen living in refugee camps in the Central Sulawesi capital of
\nPalu for two years, had begun returning to home in the last week,
\ndespite the fresh violence, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Manado Social Affairs Office head Jantje Kumajas
\nsaid on Thursday that some 2,000 Poso refugees (believed to be
\nChristians) had entered Manado, a mainly Christian community --
\nboosting numbers to an overall total, including refugees from
\nMaluku, to 25,000.<\/p>\n
The number was expected to rise, he said, adding that the
\nnumbers would increase problems on the Manado administration
\nalready burdened with refugees from the North Maluku conflict.<\/p>\n
Reports said that most of the Poso refugees returning home
\nwere civil servants, whose houses were luckily 'untouched' during
\nthe sectarian clashes.<\/p>\n
Many of them used public transport, while others used official
\ncars.<\/p>\n
\"Reports said that things have returned to normal there (in
\nPoso). This encourages us to return just for the Idul Fitri
\nholidays,\" said Ida, wife of a civil servant from Gebangrejo
\nvillage in Poso.<\/p>\n
Ida, who has been living in a refugee camp in Palu since May
\n2000, said that her family might return to Poso for good. \"It
\ndepends on the situation. If violence stops we will live here.
\nFortunately our house was not destroyed by rioters.\"<\/p>\n
Owners of public buses traveling the Palu to Poso route said
\nthey had enjoyed an increase in the number of passengers.<\/p>\n
\"In the last five days we have had good days with at least 20
\npassengers per trip. Usually we had only around ten,\" an employee
\nof Alugoro buses said.<\/p>\n
Kumajas appealed to the central government and international
\nbodies for help.<\/p>\n
He said that the administrations of Central Sulawesi, North
\nMaluku, North Sulawesi and the central government must work
\ntogether to deal with the refugee problem.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in Jakarta, Christian organizations and political
\nparties called for the UN Security Council's intervention to
\nresolve the prolonged conflict saying the Indonesian government
\nwas not serious in resolving the violence.<\/p>\n
\"The (government) plan to impose both civilian, or military
\nstates of emergency will not be effective in easing tension in
\nPoso unless authorities at the local administration level are
\ncommitted to resolving the conflict,\" Cornelius Ronowidjojo,
\nspokesman for the Christian organizations and political parties,
\nsaid in a press conference here on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Cornelius, also secretary general of the Consultative
\nCommittee of the Indonesian Christian Community, said the
\nsectarian conflicts in Poso, Maluku, and other regions had been
\nengineered to discredit President Megawati Soekarnoputri's
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
\"We are scheduled to meet the President tomorrow (Friday) to
\nexpress our special deep concern about these matters,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/poso-muslims-return-home-christians-take-refuge-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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