Is peace in sight in Poso?

Since Dec. 19 the two conflicting factions in Poso have held peace talks in Malino, Palu.

It's never too late for something good to emerge out of this even though the sectarian conflict has claimed many lives and forced thousands of people to be displaced. Shameful slanders have also spread even abroad, while facts have been distorted.

We wish the government had taken the initiative to end the conflict long ago, which is now recorded as a black mark in our history. If prompt actions had been taken, the number of victims would certainly have been reduced. The people' sufferings would have stopped. Slander would not have spread. But, again, it's never too late to accomplish good things.

The Poso riot erupted in December 1999. These riots could be said to be the most brutal to date. Thousands of people died only because of being of different religions. Children were slaughtered, women were raped and houses were burned. In the Palu District Court, Fabianus Tibo, one of the butchers, admitted to having killed at least 40 Muslims. Tibo and his friends, Dominggus da Silva and Marinus Riwu, have finally been sentenced to death.

After the court verdict, many parties hoped that the conflict would stop. It did not. The massacre is still going on.

Yet, the government has not taken any action to stop the conflict although Muslims have continued to voice their sufferings. Lately, after the attacking faction was pushed against the wall, international campaigns started to spread. The faction has attempted to bring the case to the United Nations and asked the UN Secretary General to mediate in the conflict. The government then hurriedly moved in to solve the Poso conflict.

The government's seriousness in overcoming the riots in Poso should not be spurred into action by pressure from the international community or one of the factions but by its awareness of its own obligation. The settlement of the Poso case has to be followed up with an investigation into the motive and the main player behind the riots.

The law must be enforced. --Republika