Three people detained after Morowali rampage
Erik W., The Jakarta Post, Palu, Central Sulawesi
Police in Morowali detained three people for questioning on Saturday, after an armed group attacked Beteleme subdistrict here a day earlier, leaving three people dead and five others badly injured.
A source in Beteleme subdistrict revealed that one of the three people arrested on Friday afternoon, only several hours after the attack, was identified as Syarifuddin, a resident of Beteleme's neighboring subdistrict, Lembar Dua.
The source did not reveal where Syarifuddin was being detained, only saying that two of the three were being detained at Lembo Police subprecinct in Lembo district, while another person was being detained for questioning at neighboring Petasia police subprecinct.
"None has been declared a suspect yet," the source, a community leader at Beteleme, was quoted as saying by Antara news agency on Saturday.
Besides swiftly moving to investigate the incident, the police have also deployed 200 reinforcements to Beteleme, in order to ensure security in the area.
In general, the situation in Beteleme remained tense on Saturday, but police said that it was under control.
The motive behind the attack was not known yet.
The three killed during the armed attack were identified as Derina Mbai, a local elementary school teacher, Oster Tarioko, an employee of state electricity company PT PLN and a man named Bekius.
Bekius died of gunshot wounds, a couple of hours after he was treated at Beteleme community health center.
The other five residents, who were badly injured, were being treated at Central Sulawesi Christian hospital in the neighboring town, Tentena, Poso, some 200 kilometers away from Beteleme.
At least 32 homes of Beteleme residents were burned down by unidentified attackers during the armed attack, the worst incident since the of prolonged sectarian conflict that rocked the neighboring town of Poso two years ago.
Meanwhile, Abdul Kadir, an official with the Morowali administration, said that the refugees did not only flock to their relatives' houses, but also took shelter in public buildings in neighboring subdistricts, such as local health centers, schools and places of worship.
Datlin Tamalagi, Morowali's deputy regent, visited the refugees and promised that his administration would immediately deliver humanitarian aid to the refugees.
Separately, the education authority in Beteleme decided on Saturday that teaching activities for school students in Beteleme subdistrict, the capital of Lembo district, were suspended for an indefinite period due to the bloody incident.