Poso remains tense, buildings ablaze

Poso remains tense, buildings ablaze

PALU, Central Sulawesi (JP): Tension remained high in the town
of Poso, Central Sulawesi, as a church and a local labor training
center, located in different subdistricts, were set ablaze on
Monday morning.

Fires razed Bethesda church, located in Gebang Redjo
subdistrict, and the training center, situated in Ranononcu.

However, it was unclear whether the fires had something to do
with prolonged communal clashes in the areas.

Poso police confirmed the fires but declined to give further
details.

"We have yet to investigate the causes of the fires," an on-
duty officer at Poso Police headquarters said.

On Saturday, a building belonging to Pancasila Muslim
Foundation was also torched.

The officer, asking for anonymity, said both Poso Police chief
Adj. Sr. Comr. Djasman Baso Opu and his deputy Comr. Wahyono were
not available to disclose any information on the fires.

Separately, coordinator of Poso refugees, Yus Mangun, said in
Palu that the local government faced additional burdens with the
arrival of around 2,500 Poso refugees.

Earlier reports said that two police posts in Sayo and
Tangkura subdistricts were attacked by armed groups, on Tuesday
and Thursday respectively. At least five people were killed in
the two incidents.

Yus said Poso refugees were accommodated in the local sports
stadium and the local Youth National Committee building.

Around 20,000 people, refugees of last year's killings in
Poso, were currently sheltering in the two buildings. Up to 400
people were killed in Muslim-Christian fighting last year.
Villages were destroyed and thousands of people were left
homeless.

"The increasing number of people seeking refuge in Palu will
add further burden to the provincial administration," Yus said,
adding that calls from the authorities to remain calm and ignore
provocations were ignored.

"The refugees are too afraid to return to their home towns
because of the insecure conditions there."

In a related development, officers at Central Sulawesi Police
were tightlipped over the questioning of two local officials
whose names were included in the list of 16 names claimed to be
responsible for the killings of Muslims in Poso riots. The list
was handed over by the convicted mastermind behind a number of
riots, Fabianus Tibo, who, along with two other people, Marinus
Riwu and Dommingus da Silva, were sentenced to death on Thursday.

The two officials whose names were on the list were Yahya
Patiro, assistant to Central Sulawesi provincial administration
and Edy Bungkudapu, a secretary at the local council.

On Monday, police questioned Bungkudapu for three hours at
police headquarters.

He said afterwards that he was questioned over his knowledge
of Tibo and told police that he barely knew Tibo.

"I never knew Tibo and I am not involved in the May 2000
killing," he said.

"There are certain parties that want to knock me over, they
want to ruin my career," he said. (24/emf)