Police nab one more suspect in Marowali case

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.