Seven more arrested in Mamasa

Seven more arrested in Mamasa

Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar

Some of the 1,500 refugees in Mamasa, South Sulawesi, began to
head home on Saturday, as the situation has returned to normal in
Aralle and Mambi districts, which were recently rocked by
violence.

Security was given a boost when police arrested seven more
people suspected of provoking clashes in the two districts, which
claimed at least three lives.

Mambi district head Achmad Appa acknowledged that some
refugees had returned home, but others stayed in the camps for
fear of further attacks. Achmad had also called on police
officers to beef up security in the district.

Separately, in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar, a top
police officer explained on Saturday that the South Sulawesi
Police had prepared nine trucks to transport the refugees home.

"Starting Sunday, we will take them home, as the situation
returns to normal," said South Sulawesi Police chief Insp. Gen.
Saleh Saaf, who also oversees West Sulawesi.

Saleh assured residents that there would be no clashes as
police officers were tightly guarded the two districts and
hunting down the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, Achmad expressed concern that if the refugees
stayed in the camps any longer, food shortages would occur in the
next few days. Besides, some refugees had begun to suffer
diarrhea and respiratory problems, he said.

Separately, police officers arrested between Friday and
Saturday seven more suspects in Aralle and Mambi, who were
allegedly responsible for provoking violence in the two
districts. The police also seized homemade rifles, machetes and
spears from the suspects.

Earlier, police officers arrested six suspects in the case.

After the investigation, suspects Anton and Tindek were
charged with murder, while Jumain, Marathan, Burhan and Milkias
were accused of burning and vandalizing residential houses in
Aralle district during clashes last Saturday.

Another suspect, Sarli, was charged with masterminding a riot
in the area in September of last year, in which three people were
killed.

"We are questioning more suspects," said Saleh.

The Mamasa conflict has simmered for over two years, since a
law was passed splitting Polewali Mamasa into two regencies:
Polewali Mamasa and Mamasa.

Muslim migrants, who are mostly grouped in the three districts
of Aralle, Mambi and Tabulahan, protested the split, on the
grounds that they would be the minority in the new regency of
Mamasa, which is predominantly Christian.

The protest fell on the deaf ears of the central government,
leading to clashes in September last year between those who
supported and those who rejected the split. Three people were
killed at that time and another three recently, when the violence
continued.