Poso violence acts of terrorism: Widodo<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs
\nWidodo Adi Sucipto said that the latest string of violent acts in
\nPoso regency, Central Sulawesi, could be classified as acts of
\nterrorism.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore, the government will hunt down and arrest all of
\nthe perpetrators of these acts and process them accordingly,\"
\nWidodo said in Poso on Tuesday during talks with local community
\nleaders.<\/p>\n
During his three-hour visit to observe the situation in the
\ntroubled regency after a bomb explosion last week, Widodo was
\naccompanied by Minister of Home Affairs M. Ma'ruf, Indonesian
\nMilitary chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, and National Police
\nchief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar.<\/p>\n
Widodo said the government would beef up security in the
\nregency and take into account the views of local people. He also
\nstressed the need for cooperation between the security forces and
\nthe local community.<\/p>\n
\"Give your support, such as by voluntarily relinquishing any
\nweapons and explosives that you might have, and by informing the
\nauthorities about suspicious persons or those who have broken the
\nlaw,\" he said.<\/p>\n
What had been happening recently was designed to cause public
\nunrest in the regency, Widodo said.<\/p>\n
A bomb exploded last Saturday morning in a public
\ntransportation vehicle as it passed by a market near a police
\nstation. The bomb killed at least six people and severely injured
\na number of others.<\/p>\n
The six dead were identified as Darce and Remon, both of whom
\ndied instantly at the scene, Imi Doli and Altin, who died on the
\nway to the Parigi public hospital, and Yusuf Woku and Nova, who
\ndied in the hospital.<\/p>\n
The explosion was the latest violent incident in the past two
\nweeks in Poso after the decapitation of a Christian village chief
\nand the shooting of a public minibus driver.<\/p>\n
The series of attacks have renewed fears of a possible upsurge
\nin the sectarian conflict in the regency that started in 2000,
\nand which resulted in the deaths of at least 2,000 Muslim and
\nChristians in the regency and forced tens of thousands of others
\nto flee.<\/p>\n
Despite the signing of a government-brokered peace deal in
\n2002, sporadic attacks have continued.<\/p>\n
On Monday, the National Police dispatched 100 officers to the
\nregency to reinforce the approximately 2,500 personnel who were
\nsent in earlier.<\/p>\n
Police have also stationed two more BO 105 helicopters to
\nsupport the security measures, which include arms raids and
\nrandom checks on passersby and cars.<\/p>\n
Despite the continuing violence, Poso regency's head of
\ninformation, Abdul Haris Rengga, said that local people had not
\nbeen incited to violence and public activities in the area had
\nstayed relatively normal.<\/p>\n
\"There was a bit of shock and little disruptions for some time
\nafter the explosion occurred, but it was just a temporary
\nreaction,\" he was quoted as saying by Antara.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/poso-violence-acts-of-terrorism-widodo-1447893297",
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