State of emergency in Poso to be studied further
State of emergency in Poso to be studied further
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government has not decided whether or not to impose a
state of emergency in Poso, Central Sulawesi, following fresh
sectarian clashes in the region over the past few weeks, as
security authorities say such a move still needs further
consideration.
The Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Adm. Widodo A.S. said on
Monday that the TNI were concerned about potential conflict in
the region, but the implementation of a state of emergency should
be discussed further.
"The TNI always conducts various steps in anticipation of a
situation that may develop. But to impose a state of emergency we
have to consider many aspects," Widodo said after meeting Vice
President Hamzah Haz on the planned inauguration of 875 fresh TNI
graduate officers.
The government has been urged to impose a state of emergency
in the area after rising tensions believed to be caused by the
arrival of members of Islamic hard-liner group Laskar Jihad in
the conflict area over the past weeks.
Several government officials have visited the area recently,
which has experienced sectarian clashes since 1998, resulting in
the deaths of thousands of local people.
The government is scheduled to hold a meeting to decide on the
imposition of a state of emergency in the coming days.
Earlier, National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said that
there was no urgent need to impose the state of emergency status
in the area as conditions were improving, especially after the
deployment of extra troops from the TNI and police.
On Monday, Widodo said that conflict in the area could further
escalate and there were interests from certain sides to further
prolong the conflict.
"However, TNI is trying to prevent violence from breaking out
again in the area," he said.
The arrival of more than 2,000 extra troops has helped stop
the killings in Poso where at least 15 people have died in recent
Muslim-Christian clashes, officials said on Monday.
"The TNI and police have been stationed in all areas around
Poso, not only in the town and the villages that were attacked
but also at places where it's been quiet," Poso Deputy Mayor
Abdul Malik Syahadat told Reuters.