The Jakarta Post, November 19, 2004
Poso officers accused of rights abuses
Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar
Law enforcers in the conflict-prone Central Sulawesi town of Poso have committed
human rights violations by omission for allowing a string of violent events to occur in
the past three weeks, the National Commission on Human Rights announced on
Thursday.
Albeit not categorized as gross violations, the failure to stop the violence has deprived
local people of their basic rights to live, to security, justice and the possession of
belongings.
"We didn't see any law enforcement here ... perpetrators of the murders, arson
attacks and vandalism, and even the people who provoked the violence, are roaming
free and (their cases) are not yet being legally processed. These people are even
continuing with their acts of terror. This is a definite violation of human rights (on the
part of law enforcers)," head of the commission's team assigned to probe the Poso
violence, Achmad Ali, said.
The team recently completed a field investigation into the violence, which occurred
within the past three weeks despite the strong presence of security personnel in the
town.
At least 100 elite police troops were sent to Poso to join the 2,000 police and military
officers there after a bomb attack on Saturday, which left six people dead. Over two
weeks earlier a village chief was beheaded and a public transportation driver, shot
dead.
"The rights violations began when the sectarian conflict broke out in this area. If this
kind of violence continues, it could lead to gross violations of human rights," he said.
The recent violence has renewed fears of the possible return of sectarian conflict in
the regency. In 1999, the conflict resulted in the deaths of at least 2,000 Muslims and
Christians and the displacement of thousands of others.
Achmad said it would take the comprehensive and concerted efforts of the local
administration, the central government and the police to resolve the ongoing conflict in
the regency.
"We cannot just adopt a sporadic and temporary solution to this problem, continuous
efforts have to be made. The government not only has to address the conflict, but to
find ways to manage the thousands of refugees who have fled the area," he said.
He said the government-brokered Malino peace agreement signed by religious leaders
in the regency in December 2001 would not warrant an end to the conflict if the police
took action only when a new incident happened.
"What we observe here is a deep-rooted conflict that could reoccur anytime because
the concrete actions mandated in the peace agreement are not heeded by the local
people, particularly law enforcers," he said.
Achmad also urged the government to investigate the root of the conflict in Poso,
saying he was not certain it was triggered by religious issues.
"They had been living together for a very long time and no conflict ever really happened
before. I'm sure there are certain parties who intentionally try to create public unrest
by exploiting religious issues for a specific purpose. This is what the government and
the police must find out," he said.
Achmad added the commission had sent its recommendation to the National Police
and was mulling further investigation into the violence.
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