100 houses set on fire in troubled Poso

POSO, Central Sulawesi(JP): At least 100 houses were set on fire by mobs in two different areas on Monday, with one group of houses reportedly belonging to Muslims and the other to Christians.

Poso Police chief Sr. Comr. Djasman Baso Opu confirmed the acts of arson in the village of Malino in Tojo district and in Ampana Kota in Ampana district.

No casualties were reported in either attack.

The first incident occurred in Malino, some 50 kilometers east of Poso, where an unknown group of people set fire to houses belonging to local residents in the early hours of Monday morning.

When the news of the arson attack, which was reportedly perpetrated against the houses of Muslim residents, reached Ampana, local Muslims gathered and launched a retaliatory attack on a Christians community in Ampana.

In the retaliatory attack, around 12 houses were burned in Ampana Kota, located some 267 kilometers southeast of Poso.

Djasman said the security forces had been deployed to both locations.

"The situation is gradually coming under control," Djasman said.

In another related development, some 1,000 people staged a rowdy protest at the office of Poso Regent Abdul Muin Pusadan, protesting against Central Sulawesi governor Aminuddin Ponulele who was in town during a whirlwind visit around the province.

The protesters demanded that the governor cancel his planned visit to Tentena, a town with a Christian majority located some 50 kilometers south of Poso.

They demanded that the governor and his entourage instead visit Buyung Katedo hamlet in Sepe village where at least 14 people were killed last week.

"We will not let the Governor visit Tentena," the protesters shouted.

The governor then met representatives of the protesters at the regent's office. At the meeting, the governor was accompanied by Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Zainal Abidin Ishak and several officials from his administration.

The protesters' spokesman Yusuf Dumo said the governor should pay attention to the people in Buyung Katedo, meet them and listen to what they had to say.

The governor, however, insisted that he would not cancel his visit to Tentena as he also wanted to hear what the people there had to say.

"We don't discriminate between Muslims and Christians. We have the right to visit and meet with people everywhere," Aminuddin said.

Aminuddin, however, in the end decided to cancel his trip and returned to Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi. (24/emf)