The Washington Times, Aug 21, 2002
Indonesian troops sent to quell violence
Ioannis Gatsiounis
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published 8/21/2002
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Troops are being sent to central Sulawesi island after an
outbreak of violence between Christians and Muslims that left three Christians dead
last week.
Jusuf Kalla, coordinating minister for people's welfare, said about 3,000 military and
police personnel are set to join the 11,000 forces in the region centered on the town of
Poso, the scene of friction between the two groups since 1998.
Some Indonesian officials are urging the government to take even stronger measures.
Gen. Endriartono Sutarto, commander of Indonesia's military forces, said authorities
should consider imposing a state of civil emergency, which would give security forces
more leeway to act against perpetrators of violence.
Despite a peace agreement signed in December, security forces have made no
arrests to curb the recent increase in violence, sparking accusations that they are
working in tandem with "unidentified assailants" responsible for attacking Christians.
Local Christians blame extremists from outside the region for the latest attack
Thursday in the village of Taliwan. Three Christians were shot dead, and the
community retaliated by burning newly built houses belonging to Muslims in the
village of Tomata.
The Poso conflict began with an argument between two drunken teenagers, one
Muslim, the other Christian, on the eve of Christmas and Ramadan in 1998.
About 2,000 people, most of them Muslim, have been killed since 2000. But most of
the recent attacks in the area surrounding Poso have targeted Christians.
While the recent friction appears religious in nature, the roots of the conflict lie in a
"transmigration" program of former President Suharto, who moved large groups of
people around the archipelago in hopes of developing resource-rich regions.
The program brought large numbers of Muslims into traditionally Christian areas of
central Sulawesi, shifting the ethnic balance of the region. The city of Tentena, with
65,000 people, is the last Christian stronghold in the region.
Some Christians believe the latest attacks are the work of Laskar Jihad, a paramilitary
Muslim group suspected of involvement in earlier attacks on Christians in Maluku
province.
Others suspect the military may be giving arms to militants in the area to create
destabilization — thereby strengthening the hand of the military in its political
struggle to maintain power in the capital.
Security forces staged a major search operation after a police officer was reported
missing in the Poso area last week.
The Central Sulawesi Crisis Center said police officers blamed Christian villagers for
the trooper's disappearance and fired their weapons into Christian homes and
churches.
Some community leaders and activists have since directed appeals to the
international community.
One source close to the community said the United Nations has "become more
receptive" to the idea of working with the Indonesian government to establish a
peacekeeping force in Poso.
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