Ministers weigh possible state of emergency in Poso town

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Home Affairs Minister Hari Sabarno have visited Poso, Central Sulawesi, to explore a possible state of civilian emergency to resolve the prolonged sectarian conflict in the regency.

Meanwhile, Central Sulawesi Governor Aminuddin Panulele said that the escalating tension over the last two weeks should not be considered a sufficient preliminary condition for declaring a state of emergency.

After arriving in Poso, the two ministers held separate meetings with local Muslim leaders and officials before traveling to Tentena, where some 30,000 people have sought refuge following the destruction of their villages.

There was a minor disturbance when a number of local Muslims attacked Christian leaders who had come to Poso to escort the ministers to Tentena, which lies some 40 kilometers south of the town.

"The priests survived the attack as a number of security personnel arrived at the scene," Rev. Herman, a Catholic priest, told The Jakarta Post by cellular phone from Poso on Wednesday.

Following their tour, the two ministers are expected to convey their assessment of the situation to President Megawati Soekarnoputri, to help her decide whether the government should impose a civilian state of emergency in the regency.

Scores of people have been killed and hundreds of houses, mosques and churches have been burned down in a wave of violence that has swept the regency over the last two weeks.

Sectarian violence first struck the area in 1998, triggered by fierce competition surrounding that year's regent election. The current cycle of violence broke out following the arrival of armed civilian forces from Central and East Java, which coincided with the withdrawal of security personnel after the situation in the regency had begun to return to normal.

The conflicting parties have traded threats as the death toll mounts on both sides.

The governor said the situation in Poso did not yet meet the preliminary conditions required to declare a state of emergency.

"It is not an appropriate time for the government to declare a state of emergency in Poso," Aminuddin told reporters in the provincial capital of Palu on Wednesday.

Referring to the emergency law, which had yet to be enforced, the governor said an in-depth study was needed before a state of emergency could be declared.

The absence of government activities, a lawless condition and a paralyzed economy were three factors that should be taken into consideration, he said, adding that the situation in Poso did not yet to meet the criteria stipulated by the law.

Besides, the police were still investigating those suspected of involvement in the recent killings in the regency, he said.

He added that the provincial administration had introduced security and social strategies in handling the sectarian conflict.

However, Law No. 20/1959 on states of emergency, which is still in force, allows the government to declare a state of emergency in such a strife-torn territory.

In related developments, the six residents of Toyado village who went missing over the weekend were found dead in Poso River on Wednesday.

The six went missing and were believed to have been kidnapped by security personnel after they, along with militiamen, attacked the predominantly Christian village.

"Serious injuries were found on their bodies, a sign that they were tortured before being killed," Antara quoted witnesses as saying.

The six bodies were brought to the Poso General Hospital to undergo autopsies.