Palu sect leader Madi remains on the loose

Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

While police have named 11 members of what authorities are calling a "deviant" religious sect as suspects in the killing of three police officers during a clash last week in Central Sulawesi, they have still been unable to arrest sect leader Madi.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Soenarko said officers made the latest arrest in the case on Monday, detaining a suspect identified as Marsuna, 47, who is now being held at Central Sulawesi Police Headquarters.

Ten of the 11 suspects in the killings are now in police custody.

Soenarko said Marsuna was accused of participating in the assault on the police officers along with other members of the Madi sect (not Mahdi as previously reported).

"We are still searching for Madi. The main obstacle is the difficult terrain, but Madi is wounded so he cannot have gotten far," the officer said.

At least 127 other Madi followers, comprising 42 men, 40 women and 45 children, have turned themselves into the police, according to Soenarko.

Last week's clash occurred when 16 officers went to the mountainous Gawalise area near Palu to detain the 27-year-old Madi for spreading heretical Islamic beliefs.

Dozens of Madi's followers reportedly became violent when the officers attempted to detain the sect leader. Wielding machetes and sickles, the sect members attacked the officers. Three policemen and two sect members died in the violence.

The next day police launched a massive operation to arrest Madi and his followers, who were reportedly holding several officers hostage.

Over 300 heavily armed police officers, assisted by a helicopter, took part in the operation. Three officers were found alive in a forest near the hamlet of Salena, where the sect is housed. However, Madi was able to elude arrest.