Sulawesi governors to meet over Poso clashes

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): Governors, local figures and religious leaders from Sulawesi's four provinces are to meet on Saturday in an effort to settle the prolonged sectarian violence in Poso, Central Sulawesi.

South Sulawesi Governor HZM Palaguna said on Wednesday it was his idea for the meeting and he had chosen Tentena, the area where fighting in the region first broke out, as the venue.

"We chose Tentena so as to make all those involved in the violence aware of what they had done on their own land. The meeting is aimed at settling the dispute and stopping the inter- religion clashes which have claimed the lives of hundreds of people," Palaguna said.

Sulawesi has four provinces, North Sulawesi with Manado as its capital, Central Sulawesi with Poso as capital, South Sulawesi with Makassar as capital and Southeast Sulawesi, whose capital is Kendari.

Fighting between Muslims and Christians has plagued the town of Poso.

The most recent fighting in the town erupted on May 23 this year and ended only after some 300 people had been killed and 4,000 buildings destroyed.

Political observers have speculated that the conflict in Poso is part of a large plan 'to tear down' the eastern part of Indonesia'

They have also said that the violence in Maluku and Irian Jaya was orchestrated by a certain group of people who want to see the archipelagic country disintegrate.

Palaguna said the Aug. 12 meeting was expected to be the final reconciliation meeting. Two similar meetings were held in Makassar and Manado last month.

"We, the Sulawesi people, do not want to let our land be like Maluku or Irian. We don't want more violent conflict to take place here," he said.

A preliminary meeting will be held in Palu on Thursday, Palaguna said. "We will discuss the detailed issues to be on the Tentena meeting agenda. We will report the whole thing to President Abdurrahman Wahid afterward."

Meanwhile Antara news agency reported from Palu on Wednesday that three people suspected to be the instigators of the Poso clashes said a general based in Jakarta was behind the conflict.

Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus Soares and Marinus Riwu told the police that the general, known only by the initial H, was the mastermind.

In questioning, the three main suspects mentioned two other generals, also known by their initials R and T.

Chief of Central Sulawesi Police detectives Supt. Andi Ahmad Abdi confirmed that the suspects had mentioned general H as the architect of attacks on Muslim pockets in five districts in Poso.

"The suspects told my subordinate that H was the mastermind of the rioting," Ahmad Abdi said, but did not give details.

It was the general who planned the killings and the burning of people's homes, Ahmad Abdi said. (27/sur)