AsiaNews.it, 27 October, 2004
INDONESIA
Bombs found in graveyards and churches in Sulawesi and
Maluku
Poso (AsiaNews) - Central Sulawesi could see renewed clashes between Christians
and Muslims after 123 home-made bombs were found in a cache in a Muslim
cemetery in Moengko village (Poso). The devices contained sharpened metal and
nails.
The discovery was made after local residents made their traditional visit to the
cemetery on the occasion of Ramadan with the intention of cleaning it up.
The bombs probably belong to an unidentified group that was planning attacks
throughout the area, Poso police chief Abdi Dharma said.
The police added that the weapons were not recently made and might belong to a
stock of weapons used during the 2001 incidents that torn Poso.
The Sulawesi Islands saw violent clashes between Muslims and Christians break out
in 2000 and 2001, leaving more than 1,000 people dead.
On December 20, 2001, rival community leaders signed a peace accord. Although
violence has subsided some killings that have occurred in the past two years have
remained unsolved.
The Maluku (Moluccas) Islands area also a hotspot for Christian-Muslim violence.
Last October 22, 15 home-made, low-explosive bombs were found in a Protestant
church in Ambon City.
Maluku Police Chief Brigadier General Aditya Warman said that the find shows that
someone might be planning to light the fire in Ambon again.
"I have the same impression," Warman said, "that the same group also put a bomb in
predominantly Catholic Tual". (MH)
Copyright © 2003 AsiaNews All rights reserved
|
