Government criticized over sectarian conflict in Poso

Erik W. and Damar, The Jakarta Post, Palu/Jakarta

The Institution for Development and Advocacy of Human Rights (LPS-HAM) in Palu, Central Sulawesi, has criticized the government and security authorities for having no strong commitment to stop the sectarian conflict that has claimed 141 human lives over the last two months in restive Poso.

Dedi Askary, director of LPS-HAM, told The Jakarta Post here on Tuesday that not only LPS-HAM but also many people in Poso have frequently lodged complaints to local authorities about human rights abuses in the sectarian conflict but until last minutes no actions have been taken to stop the bloodshed.

"Under such a condition, we come into a conclusion that both the local administration and security authorities are not committed to creating peace and enforcing the law in an attempt to protect local people from the bloodshed," he said.

Besides the absence of tight measures to stop the violence, he said, the local administration has also failed to handle more than 300,000 Poso Muslims and Christians who habve been in a poor conditions in their refuge camps outside the restive regency.

According to data collected by LPS-HAM, a total of 61 attacks and burnings have happened between January and December, 2001 in the regency, leaving 141 dead, 90 others injured and 2.438 houses burned.

Besides, 27 locals have gone missing and 102 others have been tortured.

"The killing, torture and abduction were allegedly committed by civilians, militiamen, security personnel, party activists, legislators and hoodlums while the ones which were burned were houses, school buildings, mosques, churches, halls, vehicles and cars," he said.

Dedi said LPS-HAM also noted a number of violence in the regencies of Banggai, Banggai Archipelago, Morowali, Toli-toli, Buol and Palu and most of the violence were triggered by regent successions.

He said the horizontal conflict in Poso that erupted by the end of 1998 was triggered by a bickering of two youths from different religions and extended to sectarian conflict in line with the regency succession in 1999.

"The strange thing we have observed that security authorities failed to take tight measures when the two conflicting factions attacked one another," he said, citing that it has been too late when the central government intervene to stop the conflict.

Asked on the local police's plan to disarm the conflicting factions, Dedi said the police should avoid a repressive approach to do so because such an action would likely claimed more human lives among the local people.

Separately, Brig. Gen. Zainal Abidin, chief of the Central Sulawesi Provincial Police, conceded that security personnel had difficulties to tackle the conflict when the situation was amounting over the last two months.

"The number of personnel is very limited while the territory we must oversee is very large. But, now, the situation has been under control following the recent deployment of four battalions of security personnel from the provincial police and local military to the regency," he said.

Bagus Arinanto, a bus driver in Poso, said the traffic along the Palu-Poso highway has been safe following the deployment security personnel to the regency.

"We can see police and servicemen in many part of the road connecting the two towns," he said.

Meanwhile, in Jakarta, National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said that the police would likely use force to disarm all supporters of the two conflicting factions if they decline to surrender their arms voluntarily.

"Civilians have no rights to own weapons, so that they must render their weapons (to the police)," said Da'i who asked his comments on the meeting of Poso's religious and tribal leaders in Malino, South Sulawesi, on Wednesday and Thursday.

According to Da'i, the current situation in Poso has been gradually abating following the deployment of four battalions of security personnel to the regency.

Citing the results of the police investigation, Da'i said the police had found alleged involvement of the people from outside Poso.

"But, we're still looking into any possible interference of foreign sides in the sectarian conflict," said Da'i.