Papua Police arrest two members of Laskar Jihad
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.