Houses torched, 1 killed as fresh rioting rocks Poso
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)