Muslim, Christian agree to lasting peace

Muslim, Christian agree to lasting peace

Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu

At least 80 Muslim and Christian leaders in Central Sulawesi met
on Tuesday night in Palu, and agreed to establish a forum to
ensure a lasting peace in the conflict-torn Poso regency.

All 80 leaders were claimed to be "field operators" during the
bloody sectarian conflict in Poso in 2000.

The forum, called the Alliance to Save Humanity, was assigned
to promote peace in Poso by conducting intensive dialogs among
Muslim and Christian groups in the city.

"The forum should ensure security in Poso, and allow people to
move freely from one place to another. With the establishment of
the forum we hope the situation in Poso will return to normal,
like it was before the sectarian conflict in 2000," said Adnan
Arsal, a prominent Muslim figure.

Some 2,000 Muslims and Christians were killed during the Poso
conflict in 2000. Currently, Poso city is religiously segregated,
with Muslims not daring to enter Christian neighborhoods, and
vice versa. Bombings and armed attacks have continued in the
regency until recently.

During the meeting on Tuesday night, the leaders also
discussed prosecution of criminals responsible for the Poso
conflict and the seizure of weapons from residents.

Muslim leaders said that they would assure the safety of
Christians traversing or living in Muslim areas, with Christian
leaders making a similar commitment.

"The church assures the safety of Muslims visiting and tending
their paddy fields or plantations in North or South Pamona
district," said Renaldy Damanik, a prominent Christian figure.

In 2002, a peace meeting was held in Malino, South Sulawesi,
brokered by the government. It resulted in the Malino Declaration
that has been largely successful in mitigating further conflict,
however it has also been criticized for failing to bring
combatants in the field to the negotiating table.