Poso violence acts of terrorism: Widodo
The Jakarta Post Jakarta
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo Adi Sucipto said that the latest string of violent acts in Poso regency, Central Sulawesi, could be classified as acts of terrorism.
"Therefore, the government will hunt down and arrest all of the perpetrators of these acts and process them accordingly," Widodo said in Poso on Tuesday during talks with local community leaders.
During his three-hour visit to observe the situation in the troubled regency after a bomb explosion last week, Widodo was accompanied by Minister of Home Affairs M. Ma'ruf, Indonesian Military chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, and National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar.
Widodo said the government would beef up security in the regency and take into account the views of local people. He also stressed the need for cooperation between the security forces and the local community.
"Give your support, such as by voluntarily relinquishing any weapons and explosives that you might have, and by informing the authorities about suspicious persons or those who have broken the law," he said.
What had been happening recently was designed to cause public unrest in the regency, Widodo said.
A bomb exploded last Saturday morning in a public transportation vehicle as it passed by a market near a police station. The bomb killed at least six people and severely injured a number of others.
The six dead were identified as Darce and Remon, both of whom died instantly at the scene, Imi Doli and Altin, who died on the way to the Parigi public hospital, and Yusuf Woku and Nova, who died in the hospital.
The explosion was the latest violent incident in the past two weeks in Poso after the decapitation of a Christian village chief and the shooting of a public minibus driver.
The series of attacks have renewed fears of a possible upsurge in the sectarian conflict in the regency that started in 2000, and which resulted in the deaths of at least 2,000 Muslim and Christians in the regency and forced tens of thousands of others to flee.
Despite the signing of a government-brokered peace deal in 2002, sporadic attacks have continued.
On Monday, the National Police dispatched 100 officers to the regency to reinforce the approximately 2,500 personnel who were sent in earlier.
Police have also stationed two more BO 105 helicopters to support the security measures, which include arms raids and random checks on passersby and cars.
Despite the continuing violence, Poso regency's head of information, Abdul Haris Rengga, said that local people had not been incited to violence and public activities in the area had stayed relatively normal.
"There was a bit of shock and little disruptions for some time after the explosion occurred, but it was just a temporary reaction," he was quoted as saying by Antara.