Papua Police arrest two members of Laskar Jihad

R.K. Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura

Papua Police said on Wednesday they had arrested two members of the militant Laskar Jihad group on charges of possessing home- made firearms in the troubled province.

"The two suspects were arrested in Sorong and Fak Fak regencies after they were found carrying firearms," Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Made Mangku Pastika said in the provincial capital, Jayapura.

He did not say when the police made the arrest.

Pastika's statement clearly confirmed the local authorities' recognition of the presence of the Java-based Laskar Jihad, which they had earlier denied.

He said the suspects were identified as Nurdin and Aliban.

The police also found leaflets from the Muslim extremist group, which Pastika said could incite religious conflict in the predominantly Christian province.

At least 200 members of Laskar Jihad have been conducting religious activities starting six months ago in three regencies, Sorong, Fak Fak and Manokwari, areas which are host to Muslim migrants from other provinces.

Ayip Syafruddin, spokesman for the militant group, said last week that the arrival of its members was so as to expand "the organization's branches" in Papua.

They had set up six regency branches of their group in Papua, he said, adding that they were also engaged in propagating Islam and educational activities, and were publishing bulletins and a tabloid news sheet for Muslims in the province.

However, separatist leaders objected to the presence of Laskar Jihad, which they said had sparked unrest among Papuans as they were distributing VCD tapes depicting sectarian fighting in the Maluku islands.

On Saturday, Papuan religious leaders, including those from Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim groups, held a meeting with Papua Governor Jaap Salossa and other senior local government officials to discuss security issues over the presence of Laskar Jihad.

Salossa called on Papuans to remain alert against possible provocation by a certain group attempting to spark new conflict in the country's easternmost province.

"All Papuans should unite their vision to avert unforeseen events," he said.

Papuan Muslim leader Zuberir Husein said local Islamic groups would not tolerate any possible attempt by Laskar Jihad to create chaos in the region.

The Muslim community has so far lived peacefully in Papua and is free to perform their religious activities without any disturbance from followers of other religions, he said.

Laskar Jihad has been blamed for further worsening the sectarian conflicts in Maluku and Poso regency in Central Sulawesi, conflicts which killed thousands of people and forced thousands of others to flee.