Da'i urges Poso people to avoid provocation

Da'i urges Poso people to avoid provocation

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar asked the conflicting
Christian and Muslim camps in Poso regency, Central Sulawesi, on
Thursday not to be provoked by a bomb blast in public bus serving
the Palu-Poso-Tentena route.

Speaking in the West Nusa Tenggara provincial capital of
Mataram, Da'i said the bombings that had rocked the regency in
the five months since the Malino peace deal was signed were the
work of "outsiders".

"We ask the people of Poso to remain calm and not to be
provoked into violating the law .... The police will continue
efforts to arrest the bombers," the general said as quoted by
Antara.

"The latest bombing was part of the provocation by those who
do not want the people of Poso to live in peace," he said.

The bus bombing on Wednesday left four people dead and 17
others injured.

Da'i said the police were investigating the incident, and
expressed hope that this latest bombing would not trigger a fresh
outbreak of the sectarian violence that ripped through the
regency in 2000 and 2001.

The government-initiated Malino peace accord, named after the
town in South Sulawesi where the peace talks were held, was
signed in December last year.

It was hoped the accord would bring to an end the violent
conflict between the Christian and Muslim communities in the
regency.

The peace deal called for the disarming of the civilians,
sending back to their hometowns migrants who arrived in Poso
after the conflict began, repairing houses and buildings damaged
in the violence, pulling out troops from the area and encouraging
villagers to set up neighborhood patrols to prevent outbreaks of
violence.

According to Da'i, the Malino accord has been successful,
leading to the restoration of security and order in Poso.