Governor, police oppose emergency status in Poso

Governor, police oppose emergency status in Poso

Muhammad Nafik and Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Makassar

Central Sulawesi Governor Aminuddin Ponulele and provincial
police chief Brig. Gen. Zainal Abidin Ishak have both voiced
opposition to the Indonesian Military (TNI)'s call for the
imposition of a state of civil emergency or martial law in the
restive Poso regency.

Zainal told Antara news agency on Sunday in the Central
Sulawesi capital of Palu that security forces did not need to
place Poso under a state of emergency to stop the violence in the
regency.

A similar opinion was voiced on Saturday by Ponulele, who said
the imposition of an emergency status was not urgent in Poso.

"I think what is most urgent is not to impose a state of civil
emergency, but quickly to deploy a huge number of reinforcement
troops there," the governor was quoted by Antara as saying.

Zainal and Ponulele were responding to TNI Commander Gen.
Endriartono Sutarto's suggestion that the government declare
either a state of civil emergency or martial law in Poso.

Arguing that local civilian authorities were no longer able to
prevent violence in the regency, Endriartono said on Thursday the
government should not hesitate to impose an emergency status
there.

If an emergency status were declared, the TNI chief said, the
local authorities would have more power to quell and prevent
attacks by, among other actions, imposing a curfew or banning
foreigners and other outsiders from Poso.

The general was apparently referring to the rumored presence
of several armed foreigners who have entered Poso on tourist
visas. Endriartono has ordered the dispatch of at least 12
members of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus) to investigate
these reports.

An Italian tourist was killed recently when unidentified
gunmen ambushed a passenger bus in Poso.

Similarly, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security
Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono proposed on Friday a new
approach to end the spate of recent attacks in Poso.

He said the government was considering the "proper means" to
stop the violence in the regency. But the minister declined to
elaborate on what steps were being considered.

Zainal said that to deal with trouble in the regency, the Poso
security forces were implementing an "integrated joint operation"
involving police and military personnel, along with local
residents.

This type of operation is still the proper way to handle the
security problems in Poso, he said.

He said that to prevent further attacks, the provincial police
had stationed officers in 104 security posts across Poso,
concentrating them in those areas particularly vulnerable to
unrest.

Meanwhile, Wirabuana Military Commander Maj. Gen. Amirul
Isnaini, overseeing Sulawesi island, said on Sunday another
company of 125 troops were dispatched to Poso on Saturday.

A string of attacks by still unidentified gunmen has shook
Poso since April, leaving numerous people dead, most of them
Christians.

These attacks have threatened the peace accord signed last
December by Muslim and Christian representatives in the South
Sulawesi resort of Malino.

Poso was relatively peaceful for several months after the
signing of the historic pact, aimed at ending the sectarian
fighting that has left some 2,000 people dead over the last two
years.

No arrests have been made since this latest wave of attacks by
armed assailants, whose identities and whereabouts remain
unknown.

Zainal said the police were seeking to identify the attackers,
who he referred to as a "security disturbance group".

"We have been gathering evidence in the field, such as spent
bullet casings, and talking to residents who have been victimized
by the attacks," he said.