Police blame locals for failure to arrest mysterious gunmen

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

After months of fruitless searching, the National Police blamed their failure to find the murderers of a clergywoman and a prosecutor in Palu, Central Sulawesi, on the lack of help from local residents.

National Police director of general and transnational crime Brig. Gen. Aryanto Sutadi said at National Police Headquarters on Friday local residents had been reluctant to help police locate the mysterious killers.

At times during the police investigation residents seemed intent on protecting the suspects in the high-profile shootings, he said. They were particularly reluctant to tell the police where the suspects were hiding, making it impossible for police to track them down or capture them, he said.

"It's a pity, because we have already identified the suspects," Aryanto said.

The statement came after months of investigations into the March and July murders.

Prosecutor Ferry Silalahi, 46, was killed by a group of men in March in his car outside the house of lawyer Thomas D. Ihalaw on Jl. Swadaya in South Palu. Police said Ferry and his wife had just left the house after attending an evening mass.

Following the incident, local police handed out guns to all prosecutors and judges in Palu.

Three months later, another group of men shot dead Reverend Susanti Tinulele, while she was giving a sermon in the church. Four people were wounded in the incident, one of them critically.

Fearing that the latest shooting could fuel tension and lead into full-scale religious conflict in Central Sulawesi, the police quickly established a special investigations team to probe both incidents. They also provided tight security around all places of worship in the city.

Aryanto said Susanti's murderers were not the same people who killed Ferry, although they were believed to have come from the same group. He said the group were well-established in the province.

Police had several times found weapons, explosives and bullets belonging to the group, but the members continued to elude them, he said.

The murders caused widespread fears sectarian violence would again flare in Palu and Poso regency on the same scale as in 2000, where the conflict led to the death of some 2,000 Muslims and Christians and thousands of refugees.

The situation has largely returned to normal in the regency after a peace pact was signed by Muslim and Christian leaders in 2002. However, the sporadic, mysterious attacks have kept tension high.