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