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.