Two bomb explosions rock Poso, peace process shaken
Two bomb explosions rock Poso, peace process shaken
Erik W., The Jakarta Post, Palu
At least two bomb explosions have rocked the Poso district in
troubled Central Sulawesi amid ongoing raids by local security
authorities implementing last December's peace accord.
Central Sulawesi Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Agus Sugianto
said on Friday that the home-made bombs exploded in the disused
office of state-owned water company PT PDAM at Ratulene village,
around 15 kilometers from Poso, on Thursday evening.
No injuries were reported in the consecutive bombings that
blew out windows and shattered floors in the building in the
subdistrict of Poso Pesisir.
Agus said the blasts were heard at the Poso Pesisir police
station near the scene, adding that the bombs were of low
explosive yield.
The first bomb exploded at 6:35 p.m. followed by the second 10
minutes later, he said.
At least two unexploded bombs were discovered by a police bomb
squad which arrived one hour after the first explosion.
The team eventually managed to defuse the active bombs at the
Poso district police station.
National Police security operations chief Sr. Comr. Sunarto
and Poso's deputy police chief Comr. Yusmanjaya inspected the
scene on Friday morning.
It was the second bombing in one month. On March 20 a bomb
blast damaged the Poso social welfare office on Jl. Pulau
Kalimantan.
The first explosion was blamed on the alleged unfair
distribution of food aid intended for thousands of refugees who
fled their homes during two years of sectarian fighting in Poso.
It was not clear what motivated the latest blast. Local
security authorities are searching for the bombers.
There is speculation that the two separate attacks are linked.
Agus ruled out claims that the series of bombings showed
ineffectiveness of the disarmament operations that started in
early February and were extended for one month until April.
He said the raids remained effective and it was emphasizing
that local people follow their consciences and surrender their
weapons.
More than 39,000 weapons, including firearms, hand guns,
machetes, knives, bombs and arrows, were handed in to authorities
between December and February, while only a handful of other
weapons have been confiscated during raids.
To attract the sympathy of local people, Agus said, the
disarmament raids involved policewomen, though the operations
were not being carried out by sweeping houses and farm land.
He said the authorities had encouraged villagers to set up
patrols in their respective areas to prevent fresh attacks by
rivals after the peace deal.
The fresh outbreak of violence has clouded last December's
peace accord signed by Muslim and Christian leaders. The warring
sides agreed to stop the two-year conflict that had killed
thousands of people.
Agus also ruled out speculation that the explosion was linked
with the outbreak of violence in Ambon in the Maluku islands. A
powerful bomb killed four people and wounded 58 others in Ambon
on Wednesday. The bombing was followed by the burning of the
governor's office.