Police nab one more suspect in Marowali case

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police have arrested another terrorism suspect in relation to the murders of Christians in Marowali, Central Sulawesi, bringing the total to 23 arrests. Another six suspects have been killed during the ongoing police manhunt.

National Police Detective Chief Com. Gen. Erwin Mappaseng said Monday that they had arrested Gufron over the weekend. He was alleged to have provided logistics and participated in the attack.

He said police were still hunting another five men in relation to attacks on Christians in the neighboring regency of Poso. Police have made 16 arrests and killed one suspect in this case.

Despite widespread allegations, including from senior government ministers, that the well organized attacks were the work of regional terror network Jamaah Islamiyah (JI), Mappaseng expressed doubt.

JI has been blamed for the Bali and J.W. Marriot Hotel blasts, which claimed a total of more that 210 lives.

"Don't link the two incidents because we have no proof showing that the violence and the bombings are connected. I think they are too far apart to have links."

On Saturday National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said the terrorists could have links to bombings, but stopped short of stating they were connected to JI.

Mappaseng said the Poso and Marowali attacks were the work of individual actors. They had nothing to do with Muslim or Christian communities, he claimed.

"That's why religious leaders were not provoked by the incidents because they remain committed to the Malino Accord."

The accord, signed in Malino, South Sulawesi in 2001, brought to an end a two-year religious war in Poso in which more than 2000 people were killed.

Police said the recent violence in the two districts were under one command; they just divided the work between two groups.

Mohammadong, a suspect believed to be in charge of guns and planning the violence, was killed by police.

Police believe the weapons used in the attacks came from the Philippines.

Those arrested are expected to be tried under antiterrorism legislation, which carries the death penalty.

The violence, which erupted on Oct. 13, has so far claimed 13 lives, left dozens of others injured and created hundreds of refugees.

Mappaseng admitted that several of the terrorists had been arrested for a killing in Jakarta in 2000 but had all escaped.