Witnesses testify about massacre in Poso<\/p>\n
PALU, Central Sulawesi (JP): Witnesses to the bloodshed in
\nPoso testified during a hearing at the district court here on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
Thayeb, a resident of Sangira village in Pamona Utara
\ndistrict, told the court he saw two piles of bodies in a ravine
\nnear Pandira village, each pile about five meters high, and heard
\ndefendant Dominggus da Silva order his men to pour gasoline on
\nthe corpses and burn them.<\/p>\n
The witness said he and several other people were captured by
\nan armed gang led by defendant Dominggus and taken to Tagolu
\nvillage, the base of the \"red\" camp led by another defendant,
\nFabianus Tibo.<\/p>\n
Thayeb said he was forced to work as a cook for the gang.<\/p>\n
He added that Tibo, who he said appeared to be the leader of
\nthe group, ordered his release after five days in captivity.<\/p>\n
The district court is trying Tibo, Dominggus and Marinus Riwu
\nfor the killing of 40 people in the province's remote regency of
\nPoso last year.<\/p>\n
The alleged massacre took place during a conflict between
\nMuslims and Christians that left nearly 300 people dead.<\/p>\n
During the hearing, one of the witnesses, Supiah, slapped the
\nthree defendants before security personnel were able to restrain
\nher.<\/p>\n
The 35-year-old housewife told the court that on May 25, 2000,
\nshe and her husband Sumardi, along with dozens of residents of
\nSintuvu village, fled into the jungle to avoid Tibo's armed gang.<\/p>\n
\"But the gang managed to catch us and herd us onto a truck.
\nThey said they would take us to military Battalion 711 but it
\nturned out that we were dropped along the banks of Tambaru
\nRiver,\" Supiah said.<\/p>\n
The women were separated from the men, she said, adding that
\nwhile the male captives were being executed, the women were
\nsexually assaulted.<\/p>\n
Another witness, Chief Sgt. Nasirun of the Poso Military
\nDistrict Command, said he saw the three defendants taking part in
\nthe riots.<\/p>\n
\"Tibo admitted in his dossier that he killed 40 people during
\nthe riots and his complete statement is on file,\" the officer
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Tibo later retracted the statements he made during
\nquestioning.<\/p>\n
Dominggus and Marimus are alleged to have served as Tibo's
\ndeputies in a group called the Black Bats, which allegedly was
\ninvolved in the conflict with the Muslim camp. (24\/edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/witnesses-testify-about-massacre-in-poso-1447893297",
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