TNI deploys one more battalion to Poso

TNI deploys one more battalion to Poso

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

One battalion of troops is being sent to help the police maintain
law and order in the Central Sulawesi town of Poso following a
series of incidents that it is feared could reignite sectarian
conflict in the area.

The reinforcement troops arrived in Poso shortly after a
homemade bomb was found in front of the home of a local community
figure on Thursday as Muslims celebrated the first day of the
Idul Fitri holiday.

Military (TNI) spokesman Maj. Gen. Kohirin Suganda said the
battalion was attached to the Makassar-based Wirabuana Military
Command, which is responsible for military affairs in Sulawesi.
Another battalion has been stationed in Poso ever since the
government launched an operation code-named Sintuwu Marosos to
restore law and order code in the area in 2002.

"We (the TNI) are intensifying our security efforts in Poso to
prevent the town from becoming the scene of further disturbances.
The locally recruited troops from the Wirabuana Military Command
have been joined by about one thousand reinforcement troops,"
Kohirin told Antara on Saturday.

He dismissed reports that TNI headquarters would deploy more
troops from outside Sulawesi, saying the number of troops in the
areas was now enough.

According to official figures, as of October there were at
least 3,500 military and police personnel deployed in Poso, which
intelligence authorities have identified as a "terrorist hotbed".

Over 1,000 people were killed in a bloody sectarian conflict
between Muslims and Christians in Poso between 2000 and 2001.
Peace, which was officially declared in December 2001, has been
put to the test again following the beheading of three Christian
high school girls on Oct. 29. No one has been arrested or named a
suspect in connection with the triple murder.

Tension increased on Thursday after a low explosive bomb was
discovered in front of the house of Gustaf Tajongga, the head of
Lambogia subdistrict. The police bomb squad safely defused the
bomb.

Sporadic attacks have been occurring since a formal peace
agreement was inked in late 2001.

Religious leaders and politicians have blamed poor law
enforcement for the endless cycle of violence in the area.

People in Poso were not showing fear, however, despite the
latest incidents.

In Bega and Tagolu subdistricts, Christians visited their
Muslim neighbors to greet them for the Idul Fitri holiday.

"There is nothing to worry about in Poso. People are going
about their work and social activities without fear, even at
night," Deputy Regent Abdul Muthalib Rimi said.

He expressed regret that the media had portrayed the security
situation in the area as being volatile.

"The assessment of outsiders is not objective and has created
new problems for the people and government of Poso," Rimi said.

Despite the series of violent incidents over the past six
months, government and social activities had not been disrupted,
he added.

"The incidents were sporadic. Although they may hurt us, they
cannot rent us asunder thanks to the leading roles played by
local government officials and figures who have actively calmed
the people down," said Rimi.

The people of Poso had never overreacted to the incidents, but
had consistently encouraged the subjecting of the perpetrators to
the full rigors of the law.