Poso tense again

Poso tense again

Communal violence has again erupted in the regency of Poso, Central Sulawesi, claiming 12 lives as of Aug. 12.

Unidentified gunmen opened fire on an intercity bus killing an Italian citizen, Lorenzo Taddei, while unknown arsonists destroyed temporary shelters for refugees.

Now Poso residents are arming themselves with anything they can and the tension in the area is escalating.

One of the problems in Poso is that the security officials cannot guarantee security. They continually fail to arrest those guilty of the violence, and to explain to the people what is really happening in order to minimize the possibility of fresh violence.

The question is who can handle security in Poso?

Local community leaders should restrain from making provocative statements. If they find strong indications that security officers are behind the violence, they should bring their evidence in and show it to local authorities.

And the media should also pay extra attention to the conflict area.

The Malino I peace deal was just the beginning of the process to deal with the core reasons for this communal violence. Further steps must be taken to follow up on the peace deal.

There must be clear short-term and long-term programs put in place. Therefore, any actions taken by ad hoc groups would be very unwise in dealing with the serious problems in Poso.

Everybody must be aware that the conflicts in several areas in the country are very serious, and that they threaten the stability of the country. It is not just the people's security that is at stake, but also investor trust and the very existence of the country.

The reemergence of the violence in Poso is a clear message that all of society, including the country's leaders, is responsible for dealing with these problems.

-- Kompas, Jakarta