Religious leaders condemn attacks, urge restraint

The Jakarta Post, Palu

Central Sulawesi remained calm on Monday, a day after masked gunmen killed a Christian minister in Palu, as Christian and Muslim leaders condemned the attack and urged their laity to shun revenge.

Meanwhile, calls grew for the dismissal of Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Taufik Ridha and his senior subordinates for failing to end mysterious attacks in the province blamed on unidentified gunmen.

The demand was raised separately by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) central board and Central Sulawesi Christian Church (GKST) secretary Noldy Tacoh.

Noldy and Frederik Latupeirisa, a former secretary of the Sulawesi Church Youth Commission, even went as far as saying that National Police chief Gen. Bachtiar should also be dismissed over the latest bloodshed.

"Aside from the provincial chief, the national police chief should also be removed because they could not ensure that Christians are able to perform their religious rituals in peace in the country," Frederik said.

Da'i arrived in Palu on Monday and visited the scene on Jl. Banteng, Palu, and the house of Reverend Susianti Tinulele, 29, who was shot dead in Sunday's incident.

Grief gripped the woman's home on Jl. Lembu in South Palu, after the attack that took place when attackers burst into the Effata Presbyterian church and opened fire at around 7 p.m.

Susianti died on the spot while four others were injured, including one who is in a critically condition in hospital.

GKST chairman Arnold Tobondo denounced the killing and called on all Christians to stay calm.

He also demanded that police capture the assailants and uncover those behind the deadly attack.

Condemnation also came from Central Sulawesi's Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) chairman S. Saggaf Aljufrie who immediately called for a meeting to prevent the situation from worsening.

"The shooting was an act which went against religious and human values," he said, while appealing to Muslims and followers of other religions not to be provoked by the incident.

Saggaf said that if the attackers were Muslims, they acted on behalf of themselves, not Islam, adding that they must be arrested soon to face justice under prevailing laws and in order to pacify local residents.

Saggaf and Arnold said the police should not let the latest shooting remain unsolved as in the case of May's murder of Christian prosecutor Ferry Silalahi who had also been slain by masked assailants.

He was shot dead in his car after attending evening mass in another church in Palu.

"Our region is like no-man's-land as people can carry guns freely and shoot innocent people," Saggaf said.

Da'i said he would deploy more intelligence officers and detectives to help capture the attackers and unravel the case. He did not give any numbers.

Local police said they had distributed sketches of the attackers, who according to witnesses arrived on two Yamaha RX King motorbikes, across the province.

Hontiles Magindali, an eye witness, said that minutes before the incident he saw two men enter Effata church's veranda and point a gun at a security guard named Ungke.

Ungke was later brought by the gunmen into the church, where Christians were listening to a sermon by Susianti, Hontiles added. They sprayed bullets through the church killing the woman minister.

Another eye witness Tiok Noersoelistiyo said the attacker were well-built men and had fired several shots before entering the church.

In Jakarta, acting chief security minister Hari Sabarno said the attackers were attempting to trigger renewed conflict. Up to 2,000 people were killed in sectarian fighting that broke out in Poso between 2000 and 2001.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri ordered the police to apprehend the attackers as soon as possible. "I ask the people to remain alert because we have to maintain political stability and security ahead of the Sept. 20 presidential election," she said.

Data from the GKST shows at least 17 shooting incidents have hit Central Sulawesi since last October, all targeting Christians.

In April at least one gunman sprayed bullets into a church in Poso regency during a choir practice. Seven people, including a four-year-old girl, were injured.

In other shootings Christian minister Yohanis Tajoja was shot dead in front of his wife. Another man was killed and a female university lecturer wounded in another attack.

In the worst bloodshed last year, gunmen killed 10 people in attacks on mainly Christian villages in October.