Experts back Poso plan, doubt TNI capacity

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Military analysts threw their weight on Thursday behind the government's plan to impose a state of emergency to end the sectarian fighting in Poso, Central Sulawesi, but cast doubt on the military's professionalism.

The conflict is spinning out of control and a state of emergency is the likely choice of action but the analysts suggest that the military should learn from neighboring Maluku where the civil state of emergency in force there has been far from effective.

The government is expected to impose a state of emergency in Central Sulawesi, be it civil or military, in the next few days. Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and Security Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and new Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar were in Poso Thursday to assess the situation.

The observers stressed the need for the government to explore options on how to minimize the excesses of the security approach, highlighted by events in Aceh and Irian Jaya.

Ikrar Nusa Bakti of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said the government should not hesitate to impose a state of civilian emergency.

"As long as it is implemented properly and the operation is under good control of the governor," Ikrar told The Jakarta Post.

But in the latest developments, Central Sulawesi Governor Aminuddin Panulele rejected calls for a state of emergency in Poso. He said that the escalating conflict over the past two weeks was not strong enough grounds to take the measure.

Back in 2000, the Aceh governor begged the central government to impose a civil state of emergency but the local legislative council rejected it.

Ikrar said one reason why the state of emergency in Maluku was ineffective was that the governor was not in command.

Scores of people have been killed and hundreds of houses, mosques and churches have been burned down in a wave of violence that has swept through Central Sulawesi over the last two weeks.

On Wednesday, six residents of Toyado village who went missing over the weekend were found dead in the Poso River. The six went missing and were believed to have been kidnapped by security personnel who, along with militiamen, attacked the predominantly Christian village.

Sectarian violence between Muslims and Christians erupted in 1998, triggered by fierce competition during regency elections. The current cycle of violence broke out following the arrival of armed civilian forces from Central Java and East Java, which coincided with the withdrawal of security personnel after the situation in the regency was deemed to have returned to normal.

Kusnanto Anggoro of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) stressed the need to carefully consider how to minimize military and police excesses.

The lack of professionalism among the military and police raises concern over rampant abuses of human rights, he warned.

"Soldiers are trained to go to war where they will have to kill or be killed. The problem is that they will go on an operation where they face civilians," said Kusnanto.

Emotional ties, resulting from religious or ethnic sentiments, were a major factor feared to affect soldiers partiality. In Maluku, this is a major problem. Muslim soldiers take sides with the Muslim camp and the Christians with Christian camp.

Hermawan Sulistyo, another LIPI military commentator, proposed that soldiers on duty should come from other provinces and be rotated on a regular basis.

"Anybody can't stay neutral if they see their families or friends killed during the conflict, therefore for the time being they may be assigned to other regions and be replaced by security forces from elsewhere," he told the Post.

The first thing the security forces in Poso should do was to disarm the groups as there were still many weapons and explosives there, Hermawan added. The next step would be to cut the weapons supply to the region.

When regions in state of emergency * East Timor, Sept. 7 to Sept. 27, 1999, (military) * Maluku, Since June, 2000, (civil) * North Maluku, Since June, 2000, (civil)