Officials told to publicize Malino Declaration truce

Officials told to publicize Malino Declaration truce

Erik W. and Elnino Mohi, The Jakarta Post, Palu/Gorontalo

Central Sulawesi Governor Aminuddin Ponulele asked local
officials to inform the public about the Malino Declaration,
which was recently agreed upon by warring factions in Poso, in an
attempt to establish peace in the province.

"All sides, including tribal and religious leaders, local
government officials, local media and non-governmental
organizations, are asked to disseminate the Malino peace
agreement to end the prolonged sectarian conflict in Poso and
prevent it from spreading to other regencies in the province," he
said at a media conference here over the weekend.

Ponulele made the call upon his arrival from Malino where
warring factions in Poso signed a peace deal on Thursday to end
the conflict. The reconciliation meeting was sponsored by
Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla, who
represented the central government.

The governor gave one month for the administrations of Central
Sulawesi and Poso to broadcast the peace deal to let all sides,
especially the warring factions and their supporters, know about
it in detail.

He warned that following the month-long campaign, authorities
would take strict action against whoever betrayed the
declaration.

"During the reconciliation meeting, the warring factions have
agreed to end the conflict and to punish those found guilty of
breaching the peace deal.

He said both warring factions and the government have agreed
to set up a task force to record violent incidents over the last
three years so that they can be processed according to the law.

The governor also called on militiamen in the province to
leave because their presence was not needed in handling the Poso
conflict.

"If they decline to leave voluntarily, security authorities
will forcibly expel them," he warned.

Panulele said Poso Regent Muin Pusadan had an important role
to play in promoting the program and the agreed establishment of
a task force, whose members would be from the warring factions
and local government.

"Let me see, I will take action if the regent cannot follow up
on the peace deal effectively," he said.

He added that he was satisfied with the two-day Malino
meeting, which was hosted by the South Sulawesi administration
and sponsored by the central government.

Asked about Poso refugees, the governor said they would all be
returned to their home villages.

"For the time being, the provincial administration and the
central government will provide modest housing for refugees until
they return home," he said, citing that so far 8,000 very basic
houses have been constructed for the refugees in the province.

More than 100,000 Poso Muslims and Christians have taken
refuge in the province's other regencies, Gorontalo and North and
South Sulawesi, because of the ethnic and sectarian conflict.

Amid the brutal conflict that has claimed more than 2,000
human lives in the past three years, North Sulawesi Police have
deployed more than 100 security personnel along the border area
between Central Sulawesi and Gorontalo to prevent the conflict
from spreading to the neighboring two provinces.

Gorontalo Police Adj. Sr. Comr. Radjim Asianto has issued an
instruction to all sides in the province to help inform the
public about the Malino Declaration and promote religious harmony
among local people in the newly-formed province.

He also asked local people to report to security authorities
any unwanted migrants who had attempted to provoke civil unrest
in the province.