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.