Houses torched, 1 killed as fresh rioting rocks Poso
PALU, Central Sulawesi (JP): The town of Poso, some 225 kilometers southeast of here, was still tense on Thursday following fresh rioting, in which one woman was killed and a number of houses in several Poso Pesisir district villages burned to the ground.
Poso Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Djasman Baso Opu confirmed Thursday's unrest, saying that two locals were shot during a sudden attack by an unknown group of people.
"It started in the village of Sa'atu at 1 a.m.. A woman was stabbed to death. Two others were shot but all survived," Djasman said, declining to identify the victims.
Sa'atu is one of several villages in the district of Poso Pesisir which has been rocked by violent clashes since late Tuesday, following gunfights between locals and unknown attackers.
Three civilians have been killed in the clashes.
The attackers and villagers have mainly used hand-made rifles during confrontations.
Unconfirmed reports earlier stated that four people were killed and two others seriously injured in another attack in Sa'atu on Wednesday.
Thursday's attack prompted the military to send at least 100 more personnel from the 711th Battalion in Palu, in addition to three companies already in the area.
Sources at the Tadulako Military Resort Command in Palu said that the military personnel deployed to Poso were authorized to shoot rioters on site if persuasive steps failed.
In a related development, South Sulawesi Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani said in Makassar on Thursday that he would tighten security in the areas bordering Central Sulawesi.
"This is to prevent the possible spread of rioting, especially in the area of Mangkutana," Firman told The Jakarta Post.
According to Firman, a company of the Police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob) troops had been sent to Mangkutana, some 410 kilometers north of Makassar.
Inter-religious conflicts started to unsettle Poso three years ago. Hundreds of people have been killed in ensuing outbreaks of violence.
Residents of the riot-hit villages have been seeking refuge in the villages of neighboring provinces.
"The Brimob officers will also protect the refugees living in bordering areas," Firman said. "They will also provide security for ground transportation, which has reportedly been disrupted during the recent rioting."
Firman, former chief of Maluku Police, said that he was working with the Central Sulawesi Police chief in maintaining security on the border.
"We are ready to help the Central Sulawesi Police whenever needed," he said.
Military sources said that the warring parties in Poso had expressed interest in a cease-fire. "But there is a third party which always provokes conflict in Poso," they said.
On Wednesday, eight armed men were detained for a premeditated attack on locals working at a cacao plantation in Poso's Batugincu village.
Meanwhile, the situation in the West Kalimantan capital of Pontianak was still uncertain on Thursday after ethnic conflicts between Madurese migrants and locals erupted once again last week.
Madurese refugees, housed in temporary settlements in the city, had been uneasy with the local Dayak's ultimatum that they, the Madurese, must be relocated outside Pontianak before July 1.
West Kalimantan Police chief Brig. Gen. Nurudin Usman said that it would not be easy to meet the Dayaks' demand, citing technical matters as the main constraints.
He called on the locals to be more patient. "Clashes will destroy the city within just one day. Please be more patient," he was quoted by Antara as saying.
He blamed irresponsible people for provoking riots in Pontianak. "We will not condone any provocation," Nurudin warned. (24/27/sur)