Witnesses testify about massacre in Poso

Witnesses testify about massacre in Poso

PALU, Central Sulawesi (JP): Witnesses to the bloodshed in
Poso testified during a hearing at the district court here on
Monday.

Thayeb, a resident of Sangira village in Pamona Utara
district, told the court he saw two piles of bodies in a ravine
near Pandira village, each pile about five meters high, and heard
defendant Dominggus da Silva order his men to pour gasoline on
the corpses and burn them.

The witness said he and several other people were captured by
an armed gang led by defendant Dominggus and taken to Tagolu
village, the base of the "red" camp led by another defendant,
Fabianus Tibo.

Thayeb said he was forced to work as a cook for the gang.

He added that Tibo, who he said appeared to be the leader of
the group, ordered his release after five days in captivity.

The district court is trying Tibo, Dominggus and Marinus Riwu
for the killing of 40 people in the province's remote regency of
Poso last year.

The alleged massacre took place during a conflict between
Muslims and Christians that left nearly 300 people dead.

During the hearing, one of the witnesses, Supiah, slapped the
three defendants before security personnel were able to restrain
her.

The 35-year-old housewife told the court that on May 25, 2000,
she and her husband Sumardi, along with dozens of residents of
Sintuvu village, fled into the jungle to avoid Tibo's armed gang.

"But the gang managed to catch us and herd us onto a truck.
They said they would take us to military Battalion 711 but it
turned out that we were dropped along the banks of Tambaru
River," Supiah said.

The women were separated from the men, she said, adding that
while the male captives were being executed, the women were
sexually assaulted.

Another witness, Chief Sgt. Nasirun of the Poso Military
District Command, said he saw the three defendants taking part in
the riots.

"Tibo admitted in his dossier that he killed 40 people during
the riots and his complete statement is on file," the officer
said.

Tibo later retracted the statements he made during
questioning.

Dominggus and Marimus are alleged to have served as Tibo's
deputies in a group called the Black Bats, which allegedly was
involved in the conflict with the Muslim camp. (24/edt)