Paras Indonesia, 01, 05 2006 @ 03:11 am
New Team Formed To Combat Central Sulawesi Conflict
The government is forming a special counter-terrorism team that will seek to halt
carnage in Central Sulawesi province, where a bomb blast at a Christian market killed
seven people on New Year's Eve.
Last Saturday's blast in the provincial capital Palu was the latest in a series of
attacks that are being viewed as an effort to re-ignite violence in the province where
clashes between Muslims and Christians left about 2,000 people dead between
2000-2001.
Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo Adisutjipto on
Wednesday (4/1/06) said the new team would focus on law enforcement, intelligence
operations and uncovering the network behind the bloodshed.
He said the team would be under the command of the National Police, with support
from the military, intelligence officials, Home Affairs Ministry staff and members of the
provincial administration.
The team would have a three-month mandate, which could be extended for another
three months after an evaluation of its effectiveness, the minister said after a meeting
with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
"The conflicts in Palu, Poso and Central Sulawesi require special handling through an
organization which is specially designed and tasked to handle the case thoroughly,"
he was quoted as saying by state news agency Antara.
He declined to disclose the name of the team or its leader, saying those details were
still being finalized. "The concept is still being finalized but hopefully it could be
determined tomorrow."
Human rights activists have been urging the government to form an independent
fact-finding team to investigate the Central Sulawesi violence. They are doubtful the
government's newly announced police team will be able to stop the bloodshed.
Coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence
(Kontras), Usman Hamid, said the new team sounded similar to Security Operation
Command (Kopkam) units that have existed in conflict regions such as the Maluku
islands, Aceh, Poso and Papua.
"Several years after their formation, the Kopkam clearly did not succeed in resolving
the problems in the Malukus, Aceh, Poso and Papua," he was quoted as saying by
detikcom online news portal.
He said the formation of the new team is proof the government does not have a united
vision for an exact solution to resolving the violence in Central Sulawesi.
Hamid said it also appeared the government was afraid to admit the military, police
and intelligence forces had failed to provide security and law enforcement in the
province. He further said the government did not dare to reprimand the State
Intelligence Agency (BIN) for failing to detect terror attacks.
"It's now been seven years that the Poso problem has not been uncovered. In fact, the
problem lies with law enforcement agencies and the security forces, and the
non-existence of courage to enforce the law against individuals who wield political
strength," he said.
Separately, Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) chairman Munarman said the
unrest in Central Sulawesi was due to the actions of certain local people and troops
acting outside the chain of command.
Therefore, he said, the formation of the new team will not end the violence because
members of the security forces are personally part of the problem.
"The Kopkam will not be effective in restoring the situation. So its formation is not
essential," he said.
He said the government and parliament should heed the public's aspirations for an
independent inquiry into the cause of the bloodshed.
'Blame Foreigners'
Din Syamsuddin, chairman of the country's second largest Muslim organization
Muhammadiyah, has called on the government not to blame terrorist attacks on a
"particular group" - a reference to radical Islamic networks.
"Please don't follow a partial strategy and approach by accusing a certain group as
the perpetrators, but try a comprehensive approach that includes considering the
possibility that global forces have entered Indonesia," he was quoted as saying
Tuesday by Antara.
He said "a global force" may be wishing to undermine Indonesia. "They may make
Indonesia their target, because it is a predominantly Muslim country. This allegation
is supported by the fact that a great number of foreign intelligence personnel are
roaming in Indonesia."
Syamsuddin said taking a more comprehensive approach in dealing with terrorism
should not include directly accusing al Qaeda. "If we are aiming at a certain group, we
may miss the real perpetrator or the mastermind. Therefore the government should not
believe in a certain scenario, but try to make an all out approach."
He said the comprehensive approach could start with an intelligence operation to deal
with the presence of foreign intelligence agents, followed by an effort to overcome
social and economic disparities as the roots of conflict.
"So the religious aspect of every conflict in the country is easily settled, because
those involved in the conflict are brothers and attended the same schools, but the
solution to the social and economic gap should be prioritized, he said.
"In addition, the government should not only help rebuild the damaged houses of
worship, including 21 churches and 19 mosques in Poso. While 21 churches have
been rebuilt, only one of the 19 mosques has been rehabilitated by the government,"
he said.
"Any religion will never justify violence. Hence the recent bombing incident in Palu is a
crime committed by a group of people who apparently do not believe in God," he said.
Therefore, he added, the Palu blast could be seen as part of a scenario to maintain
the conflict in Poso, with the aim of creating instability by pitting followers of different
religions against one another.
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