Central Sulawesi Police to expel troublemakers

Central Sulawesi Police to expel troublemakers

Erick W., The Jakarta Post, Palu

The police are making an inventory of immigrants in Poso in
their attempt to expel troublemakers from the regency as part of
the Malino declaration to end sectarian conflict.

The decision was made at a coordination meeting presided by
Central Sulawesi Police Brig. Gen. Zainal Abidin in the city of
Poso on Feb. 5, 2002. Also attending the meeting were Col.
Suwahyuhadji, chief of Tadulako Military District, who supervises
the province, Poso deputy regent Malik Syahadat and relevant
local officials.

Local officials have also set the deadline for Mar. 7, 2002
for the completion of the inventory of immigrants, which includes
tourists, to leave the regency voluntarily. After the deadline
expires, security authorities are to take tight measures against
those who refuse to return to their hometowns.

The meeting also decided to extend the deadline until Feb. 28,
2002, for Poso Muslims and Christians to voluntarily surrender
their firearms to the security authorities.

"After the deadline expires, those who refuse to surrender
their guns will be dealt with in accordance with the law," Adj.
Sr. Comr. Agus Sugianto, spokesman for the Central Sulawesi, said
here on Friday.

Sugianto said the police have coordinated with informal
community and religious leaders as well as a joint task force
established by the two warring factions to inform members of the
public about the declaration and the inventory.

"The government in Poso, informal community and religious
leaders will soon be better informed about the whereabouts of
immigrant troublemakers.

"The security authorities have been aware of troublemakers in
Poso for a long time but have yet to take tight measures to allow
them to leave the regency voluntarily," he said, adding that it
was better for the troublemakers to leave Poso voluntarily than
be expelled by force.

The situation in Poso has been gradually returning to normal
after the warring factions agreed to end the conflict and seek
reconciliation, in Malino, South Sulawesi, early last December.

The Malino Declaration, signed under the central government's
sponsorship, also stipulates that the main task of the joint task
force is to inform the public of the declaration and that all
outsiders considered to have played a role in the conflict must
be evicted from Poso.

Sugianto said the recurrence of the conflict last December had
something to do with the arrival in Poso of militiamen from Java
and Maluku.

The sectarian conflict there first erupted in December 1998
and has since claimed more than 2,000 human lives.

Sugianto said the police had collected a total of 30,314
handmade, as well as traditional guns, from the two warring
groups and their supporters over the last three months, but that
only amounted to just 75 percent of all the guns owned by the two
warring factions.