Chronology of Malino Accord Violations in Poso - 2003

Ever since the Malino Accord in December 2001 there have been repeated provocative violations of the agreement. In January and February 2002 there were some promising signs that perhaps the Malino Accord could produce a lasting peace. Thousands of weapons, mainly hand-made, were handed in by both the Muslim and Christian communities and destroyed by the police. There were, however, serious concerns from the Christian community due to the absence of the organic or military issue weapons being handed in by the Laskar Jihad. Such weapons had been regularly seen being carried around the streets of Poso, during attacks on villages and even photographed at Jihad inspection posts on the main highway during November 2001. These concerns were well founded as attacks against the Christian community began again to increase throughout 2002 while the Christians now had no weapons, not even the simple hand-made ones they had used to defend themselves in 2001. Several attempts to smuggle weapons into the area by the Jihad were thwarted by the police, but how many succeeded in getting more weapons and munitions to the jihad forces? These repeated violations by the terrorists led to no significant arrests or imprisonments. At the same time, Rev. Damanik, leading an evacuation team to Mayumba and Peleru to help the Christian residents escape the brutal attacks on their homes, church and families, was arrested. It seemed strange that Rev. Damanik should be arrested while none of the terrorists attacking and looting the village, shooting at and killing villagers was arrested.

The disturbing sequence of events witnessed in 2001 with the build up of jihad forces was repeated in 2002. It is even more disturbing to see the same pattern building up through 2003 and the Government's resolve or ability to read what is going on must be seriously questioned.

The first five months of 2003 were relatively quiet with no major incidents recorded that could be deemed to be a part of the ongoing attacks against the Christian community.

As a result of the improving conditions, on May 28, 2003, the government ordered the withdrawal of 1,000 soldiers and police officers from the Central Sulawesi regency of Poso. Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Taufiq Ridha said the 1,000 security personnel were reinforcement troops sent to Poso to curb sectarian clashes between 1999 and 2002. "What's important is that security in the former conflict zone is becoming better," Taufiq said. However, there was an immediate escalation of violence. Some have accused the security forces of complicity to prevent their early departure and to secure their "investments" in the area.

1.   Thursday, 29 May 2003, 2 men shot.

Jabar (20), a Muslim, from Marowo, a village east of Poso on the way to Ampana, died from a neck wound while his brother-in-law, Ibrahim, a Christian from Bada, although injured, escaped and reported the incident to the Police. In the late afternoon they were returning from the chocolate plantation in Kayamanya, Poso City, when four masked gunmen with automatic rifles attacked them. Ibrahim and Jabar in the past lived in Kayamanya but departed when the conflict began. They had returned just 2 weeks earlier. Kayamanya was formerly a majority Muslim area but since the conflict was exclusively Muslim as every Christian home was destroyed. Due to Government announcements that it was now safe, they had returned.

2.         Monday, 2 June 2003, Kapompa, Poso City, attacked.

At 3.00am, a group using automatic weapons attacked the village of Kapompa, Poso City. 5 homes were riddled with bullets. 2 men, Yosep Burungudju (40), a Christian refugee in Tonusu, near Tentena, with a wife and 2 young children, died when he was struck with a bullet on the right side of his chest and another in his stomach. Darman Posumah (35) also from Tonusu, was seriously wounded in his knee, and is still being treated in the Poso General Hospital. Kapompa was formerly a majority Christian village but since the conflict began, all Christians had left. They had only recently returned to Kapompa to harvest their chocolate plantations. The question must be asked, Are these recent attacks the deeds of Muslim fundamentalist extremists who want the conflict between the 2 communities to continue so that they can profit from the chocolate harvests owned by the Christians? Or could it be that there is a relationship between the announcement a few days earlier of the withdrawal of police and military units from the area?

3.   Monday, June 2, 2003. Start of trial against Rev. Damanik

A travesty of injustice and a violation of the Malino Accord came into public display with the commencement of the trial against Rev. Damanik in Palu, Central Sulawesi. This trial came about as a result of two Government Ministers and the National Police Chief losing face in a public meeting in Tentena on Sunday August 11, 2002. Six days later the police were set up to arrest Rev. Damanik as he came to rescue escaping Christians from the village of Mayumba. None of the terrorist attackers of the village who burned, looted and killed innocent villagers were arrested. Why? Because the police were waiting for Rev. Damanik to "catch him red-handed."

The trial began with charges being laid against Damanik for allegedly having weapons in his possession and it was demanded that he be imprisoned for 5 years. Strangely, all witnesses testified that it was not true that Damanik had a weapon, either on that occasion or on previous rescue missions. By way of contrast, Yasir Ibnu, a Muslim, arrested with two accomplices, Siswanto and Iqbal, who were caught transporting several thousand rounds of ammunition, and hundreds of automatic military weapons and grenades was only demanded to get 3 years while Siswanto and Iqbal just 1 year each. For Ibnu this was a repeat of a similar offence. He had previously escaped from custody before his sentence had expired and was now being sentenced again to just 3 years. This inequality of justice makes it difficult for the Christian community to believe that the Government is serious in dealing with the core issues of the dispute and that such lopsided justice only encourages more violence.

4.   Monday, June 2, 2003. Two murdered in mysterious killings in Poso

Yefta Barumuju, 37, was shot to death at his house on Monday at 3 a.m. while Darma Kusuma was injured after being shot in his knee and ribs on the same day. Despite these and other recent shootings, Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Taufik Ridha said troops would continue to withdraw from Poso as the security operation will end before July. Last week, 300 officers from the police's Mobile Brigade were withdrawn and would be followed by others soon. However, it is causing great concern that just like after the two previous security operations, the number of killings and bombings increased following the withdrawal of security personnel. The Christian community fears that the same will happen again as the terrorist attackers have never been seriously dealt with since the first attacks against the Christians in Christmas 1998. The resolve and commitment of the Government to recognize the source of the attacks and to deal with it is worrying as the same pattern that emerged in 2001, repeated in 2002, is again emerging for all to see once more in 2003. If this is correct, we can expect to see more serious attacks developing in the coming months and perhaps later in the year another full-scale attack on the town of Tentena.

5.      Friday, Jun 27, 2003. Christian party bombed

A bomb exploded in Kawua village, Lage sub-district of Poso, when local residents were holding a traditional dance party called modero. No injuries were reported in the blast that appeared more to create terror than to take lives.

6.         Wednesday, Jul 9, 2003. Sniper action returns to Poso.

The feared snipers have returned again to Poso slaying Yulius Ledo Pamimi, a 32-year-old Christian resident of Saatu village in Poso. Police are still in the dark about the culprits, as the bullets that killed Yulius could not be recovered because his family refused to permit an autopsy to be performed.

7.         Thursday, Jul 10, 2003. Poso food stall bombed

Peace in the Central Sulawesi town of Poso, once wracked by bloody sectarian fighting, was put to the test on Friday after a homemade bomb exploded in a food stall, injuring four people. One of the victims, identified as Sutrisno (40), sustained serious wounds in the blast on Thursday night, and had his right leg and left hand amputated, police said. An unsuspecting Sutrisno opened the bag, thereby triggering of the blast. The other three injured were Tini Alimin (36), Melki (33), and Fela (2), are being treated in the intensive care unit of Poso general hospital. The police said the bomb was contained in a bag found in the Cafe Victoria food stall located on Jl. Trans Sulawesi, Poso. The explosion forced the authorities to tighten security for motorists traveling to and from Poso, with police checking passing vehicles.

Local community leader Mr. S. Pelima questioned the security forces' failure to prevent the bombing. "Many security personnel have been deployed here, but the victims continue to fall. What're they here for? He dismissed as "camouflage" the police claim that security had been restored in the town since early this year. Pelima demanded that the police and military improve their work so as not to allow any more attacks to occur. "If there are still people falling victim to bombings and mysterious shootings, this means the security restoration operation launched in early 2002 has failed." He said many unidentified outsiders had arrived in Poso recently and that they were believed to be behind the latest bombings and shootings.

8.   Thursday, Jul 10 2003. 5 injured in Poso bomb blast.

The recent wave of renewed attacks in Poso, Central Sulawesi, has sparked fears of an upsurge in religious violence after months of relative peace in the once riot-wracked town, where security forces are now on a heightened state of alert. The latest attack occurred as a gang of masked men fired shots at a policeman and a school teacher, while on a motorcycle at Lembomawo village, Poso sub-district, on Friday afternoon. The shots critically injured First Brig. Petrian Malangi, a member of the Lage Police, and a woman teacher, Marlian Lapano, police said. They said the gunmen sprayed bullets at Petrian, who was taking the schoolteacher home on his motorcycle. The victims, both Christians, were in critical condition and in intensive care at the hospital, as they had lost a lot of blood.

Despite the recent outbreaks of unexplained attacks, deputy Central Sulawesi Police chief Sr. Comr. Sukirno claimed on Saturday that security and order was under control in Poso.

He said that the Poso people in general were not reacting excessively to the shootings and bomb blasts. "What happened was a one-off occurrence and we don't see any further reaction from large groups," Sukirno said, as quoted by Antara. He added that he had sufficient personnel to keep any incipient conflict in the regency under control. Sadly, we have heard this comment before, generally just prior to a major escalation. These remarks cause us great concern of what we might have to face in the coming months.

9.   Saturday, Jul 19 2003. 14 soldiers face court martial over Poso violence.

At least 14 Army troops will soon face a court martial for their alleged roles in an orgy of kidnapping and murder in the Central Sulawesi town of Poso, currently enjoying an uneasy peace after years of sectarian violence. All the soldiers, two Second Lieutenants and 12 First Privates, have been declared suspects in the kidnapping of dozens of civilians in the Toyado area last December. Two of the suspects were charged with killing several of the captives, and 10 others with maltreating other civilian victims.

Lt. Col. Wempi Hapan, the Military Police detachment chief in the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu, said the charges were laid after 65 witnesses, including 10 civilians, had been questioned. He said the 14 soldiers would be tried before a court martial in Manado, North Sulawesi. The Toyado civilians were allegedly abducted by the soldiers on Dec. 2 last year after one of their commanders, named only as Capt. Tomy, was shot in the head when jihad forces attacked the Christian village of Sepe. Tomy was immediately flown to Jakarta for medical treatment. Five other troops were also slightly wounded during the same clashes.

The abductions shocked residents in Toyado as they took place at dawn when they were taking their first meals of the day during the Ramadan fasting month. The incident was later reported to security authorities in Poso after one of the victims escaped the abductors. However, some hours later in the afternoon, local people found the bodies of the some of the kidnapped civilians. At least three of the victims are still missing. Wempi further said the 14 soldiers could be charged with violating Article 351 of the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.

Incidents such as this were blamed on Christians and initially widely publicized as such. However, it turns out that it was a reaction from the security forces against jihad terrorist attackers; some of whom it appears were recognized by the security forces as being participants in the attack. The security forces are not supposed to be shot at during attacks and the violators paid the penalty by an act of revenge by the police. Unfortunately for them one escaped and their deeds of revenge were exposed.

If the security forces did their job properly and actively defended the defenseless villages, it is possible that the attackers would cease their activities. It has been the lack of any convincing response that has been encouraging the terrorists that they are somehow under special protection.

10.    Friday, Oct 10 2003. Morowali District Attacked

Just after midnight, 10 October, 2003, a village called Beteleme, the capital of Lembo sub-district, in Morowali District, about 400 km South East of Palu, 220 km from Poso, and 155 km from Tentena. By road it takes around 4 hours to drive there from Tentena. Beteleme was attacked between 12 midnight to 1 am, by several groups of jihad terrorists.

The attack began with rounds of gunfire, explosions of bombs and continuous cries of "Allahu akbar, Allahu akbar!" According to eyewitnesses, each group consisted of 7 to 8 people wearing black ninja outfits with their faces covered with masks. They shot at the houses with automatic rifles and burned down 38 houses. Two Christians were murdered in the attack. A woman, Mrs. Wedlrina Mbae (55) was shot through the chest after bullets came through the wooden walls of her house. The dead man, Yoster Tarioko (40) was shot in the left leg and died through loss of blood on the way to the Kolonedale Hospital. Kolonedale is about 30 km from Beteleme, but takes over an hour to drive there. Mr. Tarioko worked for the State Electricity Company in Beteleme.

Those injured included:

Mr. L. Malo (46) was shot through his right arm severely damaging the arm and is being treated at the Beteleme Health Center.

Mr. T. Kambae. Was shot through the calf muscle and is being treated at home.

Mr. Deki Lingkua (20) was stabbed through the left side of his chest under his armpit and was taken to the Tentena Hospital.

Several others received minor wounds as they were escaping the attack.

37 of the burnt houses were located on the main road. The other house was located in one of the narrow streets of the village. That particular house belonged to Mr. Tibo, one of the 3 men on death row after receiving the death sentence from Palu State Court for his participation in the Poso conflict in 2000. Their final appeal is still in process at the Indonesian Supreme Court.

According to the eye witnesses, they saw there were children in each group whose task was to burn the houses, and at exactly 1.00 am the eye witnesses, the local villagers, heard commands shouted: "Stop, the time is over!" Then the attackers left the location and disappeared into the jungle! There were also 3 cars and 7 motorcycles destroyed as well as 1 church, the Assemblies of God Church.

The pattern is the same as the previous attacks: when the incident happened the head of the local police was not in his post, he was on duty somewhere else!!

The first response of security forces assistance arrived at 3 am, from a police squad assigned to Kolonedale city. All the houses burnt belong to Christians, and the victims slain were also Christians. Almost all the population of Beteleme is Christian, but there are also some Moslems, but none of the Moslem houses were burnt nor attacked and shot at. However, the remaining Christian houses, which were not burnt, were sprayed with bullets!

As the attack went on, the villagers ran and hid in the nearby jungle. According to Crisis Center/CC GKST's volunteers who went to the location to investigate, they are still looking for 6 injured people. There are many refugees from Poso, victims of the attacks between 1998 and 2002 who reside in Beteleme and have settled and rebuilt their lives again. In this area there is a very large rubber plantation and Sawit coconut plantation belonging to the Indonesian government.

Since the Malino Accord was signed in December 2001 99.9% of the victims have been Christians, and none of the attackers have been discovered!

11.   Saturday-Sunday, Oct 11-12, 2003. Several Poso Villages Attacked

Around midnight on October 11 and into the early hours of October 12 the villages of Saatu, Pinedapa, Pantangolemba and Madale were attacked. 9 people died:

In Saatu/Pinedapa village: Mr. Ayub Pematai (26), was shot on his under armpit went through his chest and another shot on his waist, was taken to Tentena Christian hospital (the family brought the body to Saojo) Mr. Matasa Tandi (52), was shot and full of cuts. His head almost separate from the body and his testicle was cut, too. His two sons: Natal Tandi (30), (according to the Poso Police his name is really Krishan or Aco), and Ayub Tandi (27) (according to the police his real name is Lis Maniakub), were shot and cut up with machete knives too. These 3 men were initially taken to the Poso hospital, and then they were taken to Saatu/Pinedapa guarded by Poso Police. They were killed in front of their own houses. They are originally from Toraja, South Sulawesi.

In Pantangolemba village: Mrs. Martina Santiara, 30 was shot in her right thigh. She was 7 months pregnant and was taken to Toraja, South Sulawesi. A girl named Sinta Lantigia (6), was shot in her head. Mrs. Narwas Ndewa (46), was also shot in the head. Mr. Yohanes Malonta (25), and Mr. Patrian Purampande (31), both were shot on the head. One woman in Saatu/Pinedapa was still missing. There are still 10 badly injured people in Poso State Hospital and undergoing surgery. In Madale village, only one house was burnt, and a bomb was found in the GKST church, but removed by the police from Poso who arrived quite quick, because this village is very close to Poso City. The attackers shot randomly in Madale. It was only in the other three villages that the terrorists came into each house looking for men. If they didn't find any, they shot any body that was at home. Some 20 people in these 4 villages were injured, 11 critically, but were not taken to any hospitals.

As a consequence of these attacks many Christians are fleeing other villages, such as Batugencu, Malei, Galuga and Matako fearing attacks on their villages as well.

12.   Wednesday, Oct 15, 2003. Jusuf Kalla comments on Poso.

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla, who brokered the 2001 peace pact, said there was no need for talks over the recent incidents. "What has happened in Poso is not a conflict but purely an attack by a certain group, so there is no need for a dialog (among Muslim and Christian leaders)," he argued, as quoted by Antara. Kalla claimed that the situation in Poso had returned to relative normalcy because local people from both faiths were united in their opposition of the unidentified attackers. If this was really the case then why did Brig. Gen. Taufik Ridha, Central Sulawesi Police Chief state that a lack of cooperation on the part of local people was part of the police's difficulties in uncovering a series of recent attacks by mysterious gunmen in Central Sulawesi? He added that information from the people was badly needed to help unravel those cases. Poso's Tadulako military chief Col. M. Slamet admitted that many local civilians still carried firearms. Why are they not arrested? They are clearly in violation of the Malino Agreement! Col. M. Slamet, a Moslem, said his office and the local police would step up house-to-house raids and seize any sharp weapons from the villagers. The arms sweeps would also be done in jungle settlements as well, he added. Hello! Where have you been? Since the Malino Accord there have been over 20 attacks on Christian villages with several thousand homes burned down and nearly 100 Christians killed. Isn't it about time the security forces got serious with these terrorist elements in society? Wasn't it agreed in the Malino Accord that there had be a total disarming by February 2002. Thereafter all people still carrying arms would be arrested, prosecuted and imprisoned. The police and the military have failed to enforce this and this represents a violation of the Accord on the part of the Government, the military and the police. Their failure to act in accordance with the law is what is allowing the current situation to escalate. And the whole world is watching! Let's end this national shame and clear out these terrorists from our society.

13.   Thursday, Oct 16, 2003. Police blockade transportation through Poso.

The police stopped all transportation, private and public coming from either Tentena or Palu and banning them from entering or passing through Poso.

14.   Thursday, Oct 16, 2003. Missing man found dead.

A 26-year-old man, who was reported missing on Oct. 12 when masked gunmen raided several villages and killed at least nine people in Central Sulawesi, was found dead on Thursday, police said. Spokesman for the Central Sulawesi Police headquarters Adj. Sr. Comr. Agus Sugianto said the body of Susanto Jafar was discovered floating in a river at around 8 a.m. by civil servant Marius Beba from Lawanga neighborhood, Poso Kota sub-district. He said Marius reported the body to the nearby police who then retrieved Susanto's body and took him to Poso General Hospital for an autopsy. The police were looking for witnesses to investigate the death of the victim, Sugianto added. He said Susanto had been reported missing by his family last Sunday after a group of masked gunmen launched dawn raids on three villages in Poso Pesisir sub-district, killing nine people. Susanto, a fish vendor operating across Poso Pesisir, some 15 kilometers from downtown Poso, was believed to have been abducted by unidentified people.

15.    Friday, Oct 17, 2003. Gunshots heard in Ranononcu, Kawua and Poso City.

Between 2.30 to 3.00 am, Christians from 2 villages just to the east of Poso, Ranononcu (5 km) and Kawua (2 km), heard gunshots for about five minutes. As the rounds of shooting occurred in the dead of night, the people were not sure where the shots were coming from, but they appeared to be coming from the city of Poso. At around the same time, an Ebony souvenir shop's warehouse was burnt down. A pesantren (Moslem Boarding School) called Pesantren Amanah in Gebang Rejo village, Poso City district, was shot at, but only the house of the leader, Haji/Ustadz Adnan Arsal was shot and the glass windows were smashed. No casualties occurred in this incident, and as usual, the attackers are not known. The pesantren is located in a Moslem neighborhood, and no Christians have lived there since the conflict in 2000. One Moslem man, a reporter, said that these provocateurs: "could not influence and provoke the Christians to create an escalation or to attack the Moslems, so now they are trying to provoke the Moslems, but up to now (10 pm, 17 Oct) no reaction from either community." This is a good sign as it shows that some within the community are no longer interested in prolonging all this violence. However, it also shows that there are certain elements that have an agenda of terror.

The Jakarta Post reported on this incident calling it "a new attack" from "these unidentified gangs," stating that in the latest violence, the unidentified gunmen set fire to a small hut used for processing wood and damaged a truck at around 3:20 a.m. in Gebangrejo, Poso Kota sub-district, just hours after Chief Security Minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono left Central Sulawesi after a three-day visit. Police officials said that no injuries were reported in the attack, although the attackers fired several shots.

16.    Friday, Oct 17, 2003. Police battle terrorists in Morowali

At 1.00 pm the police had a contact with the intruders who are assumed to be the ones that attacked Beteleme on October 12. The gun battle occurred in Bintangor Jaya village, Lembo district, about 7 km from Beteleme. Three of the intruders, Ari, 25, Ali Lasawedi, 31, and Saddam, 30, were shot dead and their bodies flown by helicopter to Poso General Hospital.

Another 3 were shot and seriously injured and are now in the Kolonedale (capital of Morowali District) hospital. Three others were caught and being interrogated in the Beteleme Police station. The arrested attackers have been identified as Ishak (39), Ardianto (21), Habit, alias Arief (22), Aswan (36), Iwan bin Andang (23) a Moengko village resident. Moengko is 2 km west of Poso City. He was caught by the residents of the Mohoni village in the Petasia sub-district, and was brought to the local police. The local people were curious, because he was seen in Mohoni village after the attack in Beteleme, and no one knows him. The other one is Hasim (25), originally from Ampana who was shot in the leg and then arrested by the police in Masar village, Petasia sub-district. The 3 wounded were shot and caught by the police in Bintangor village.

It is of interest that one of the slain, Saddam (30) and one of the arrested, Habit (22) originate from Lamongan in East Java which is the hometown of Amrozi, Ali Imron and Ali Ghufron (alias Muchlas), who were sentenced either to death or life in prison for their roles in the Bali bombings that killed 202 people. So apart from earlier confessions from Ali Imron that he had actively fought in Poso in 2001 and helped transport weapons and explosives to Poso, and confessions from al-Faruq, the Al-Qaeda chief for S.E.Asia, that he too had been involved in fighting in Poso, and the evidence of Al-Qaeda trainers sent into Poso by Agus Dwikarna with his organization KOMPAK, there is an impressive list of indications that the Poso attacks against the Christian community is part of the Islamic jihad-JI-Al-Qaeda conspiracy to eliminate Christians as part of their goal of setting up a Pan-Asia Islamic State. The sooner authorities come to accept this reality, the sooner they will be able to take effective measures to deal with the real reasons behind this genocidal conflict rather than hide behind terms such as "communal conflict" and "unidentified gunmen".

According to the eyewitnesses, Iwan confessed to the police that his group consisted of 12 people. They started from Poso and went to Beteleme through Tawaya village, Tojo sub-district. Before enter Beteleme they stayed overnight in Kolonedale town and managed to recruit some Beteleme Moslems to join them. The police found AK 47's, M16's, SS1's, Thompson and FN revolvers and hand made bombs. The exact quantity has not yet been disclosed.

The Jakarta Post reported that police captured four suspects in connection with the previous attacks a week earlier. The four were arrested after a hilltop gunfight in Beteleme village in neighboring Morowali regency, where mysterious gunmen had killed three on Oct. 10, National Police Operations Chief Insp. Gen. Dewa Astika said yesterday. He declined to identify the suspects' accused of involvement in the Beteleme attack. "We are interrogating these men," he said after a meeting at the office of the Coordinating Minister of Political and Security affairs. He said the police seized rifles and homemade bombs from the suspects. Security forces have been intensifying the hunt for the masked gunmen who have killed at least 13 people, including the three in Beteleme, in the past two weeks in a series of well-coordinated raids on villages. Brig. Gen. Taufik Ridha stated that some of the terrorists arrested were from Java while "the remaining detainees are local residents from the sub-districts of Poso Kota and Ampana. They are all Muslims," Taufik said.

Authorities continue to say that the gunmen are "outsiders". What exactly is meant by this term is unclear as those identified so far have either been Moslem residents of Poso or immigrant Buginese and Javanese who were members of the Laskar Jihad squads destroying Christian villagers a year ago. Laskar Jihad as an organization may have been officially disbanded but they left behind many of their members and a dangerous philosophy that threatens national peace, security and harmony.

17.    Friday, Oct 17, 2003. Search for weapons in Sayo.

At around midnight, the police and the army came to Sayo village, 1 km from Poso City ordering the Christian women and children to evacuate and find shelter in Kawua (2 km from Poso City). The Moslem women and children were ordered to go into Poso. According to the people and the local pastors, the police said that they had to do this as they were going to search Sayo to find weapons and the hiding terrorists.

18.   Saturday, Oct 18, 2003. Search for weapons in Sayo.

A joint military and police force have killed another gunman and arrested six other people as they combed Pawaru sub-district, Lembo district. The seven people were suspected of being involved in the killing of at least 13 people in recent attacks in Poso and Morowali regencies in Central Sulawesi province. The arrest brought the number of suspects killed during the manhunt operation to four, while the latest event has also brought the number of people arrested in the manhunt operation to 13. Taufik Ridha, the chief of Central Sulawesi police, said that the latest suspect killed was Rachmat Seba alias Romo, 38, who was believed to be the coach for the group of men who perpetrated attack in Poso and Morowali regencies.

Meanwhile, the other four who were arrested were H bin Tg, 20, R bin HMA, 23, SAK, 21 and AB, 40. The joint team has also seized two U.S. M-16 rifles with two magazines and 206 bullets, and another SKS rifle with one magazine and 20 bullets. The team also confiscated another magazine for SKS rifles with 27 bullets in it.

18.   Thursday, Oct 23, 2003. 600 kilograms of explosives found in Palu.

Police found 600 kilograms (1,320 pounds) of ammonium nitrate, a chemical fertilizer used in explosives, at a house in Palu. Police are looking for two people who allegedly owned the chemical and lived in the rented house in the provincial capital Palu, said East Palu police chief Hermawan. Hermawan said police did not have evidence that the two had links to terrorism. "We received information that the two persons are ship crew members and they use bombs to catch fish," Hermawan told. The two are now reportedly traveling to South Sulawesi, he said. Hermawan said the use of ammonium nitrate by the public is illegal in Indonesia.

National police chief General Da'i Bachtiar commenting on the seized weapons from the terrorists killed and arrested by police in the past two weeks said that preliminary investigations, including the questioning of the detainees, revealed that some of the rifles used by the perpetrators, including S-16's, were smuggled into Sulawesi from the Southern Philippines.

Gen. Da'i Bachtiar also said that all the attackers in Central Sulawesi regencies of Morowali and Poso would be charged under the antiterrorism law. Da'i said that although the attackers were motivated by vengeance from past conflicts, the attack had violated Antiterrorism Law No 15/2003. Under the Antiterrorism Law passed after the Bali bombings in Oct. 2002, the detained assailants could face the death penalty if found guilty. It will be the first time the law has been applied to a crime other than bombings. "Although the form of violence was similar to that during the past conflict, their (the suspects) actions could be categorized as terrorist acts," National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said. This is a very encouraging development and the outworking of these statements will be closely monitored.

19.   Monday, Oct 27, 2003. Another Christian slain in Pinedapa, Kawua attacked.

Moslem terrorists in the Poso area were in action again. Apparently they are deliberately demonstrating their power that they are unafraid of being captured by the military or the Government. At precisely 8.30 am at the end of the Pinedapa Village (a village that was attacked recently on October 12 with 8 being killed), Ferry Bate with his friends left to go to his small farm. The incident occurred at the end of the village at almost exactly the same site of the recent attack. As his friends began to turn and separate towards their own small farms, suddenly several people blockaded him and from very close Ferry was shot twice, in the chest and the stomach. He died instantly. When several Christian residents tried to evacuate the body, the same group attacked again but because the police had also arrived, they fled into the jungle.

In Kawua, Poso, there was also an attack that almost succeeded coming from the jungle behind the village. Fortunately, the Christians held off the attack until the security forces arrived and then the attackers withdrew and disappeared. There are a number of irregularities happening in the Poso region. After the attacks against five villages near Poso city on the 12^th October killing 10 people, the attackers were not pursued and the police or military arrested none of them.

What has been exposed in the Mass Media is what happened in the attacks in the area of Beteleme, Morowali District, (85 miles from Poso). In that attack on October 9, 2003, a small police unit chased the attackers into the jungles capturing 15 and shooting dead 5 of the attackers. After examining the situation it turns out that the security forces in Beteleme originate from North Sulawesi (a 75% Christian Province). However the attack in Poso October 12, 2003 consisted of more that 200 jihad terrorists, but to this present time not one has been caught by the security forces when there is in fact a very large security forces contingent in Poso. We suspect that the local government and the security forces are in coalition and collaborating with the attacking terrorists.

Obviously the firm instructions of the Minister for Security Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to attack and capture the terrorists is being ignored. Yesterday's incident has caused some panic in the security forces and the government in Poso since they did not expect them to strike again so soon after ordering them to hide in the jungles or to melt into the general community.

According to Pastor Zakius Langkai a pastor in the village of Pinedapa where the shooting occurred, whom I interviewed this morning, stated that the people of Pinedapa know the area in the jungle where these terrorists have their training camp and where they are hiding, i.e. not far from their farming area called "Ue Larulu". This location is closely linked to the village of Tokorondo. For the security forces and the government to say that it is too difficult to chase after these terrorists because their location is not known is rubbish. It is an absolute lie!

According to several trusted sources, the Laskar Jihad or Jamaah Islamiah at this time are planning a build up in waves to strengthen their numbers in Poso. Their major plan and proposed scenario that has been uncovered is to conduct suicide raids into the town of Tentena. This puts the 60,000 Christians in and around Lake Poso and Tentena in a very dangerous position. Does the blood of the Christians in Poso have to be continually shed and ignored? We are still waiting to see if the Government will enforce its decrees and put an end to this ongoing terrorism.

20.   Tuesday, Oct 28, 2003. Government acknowledges JI role in Poso.

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla said that there were possible links between the violent southeast Asian-based network and the incidents, citing the past presence of JI training camps in the religiously divided area. "We are investigating JI's involvement. But we are not sure yet," he said. "There have been reports of JI training camps in the area, and we now gathering evidence that could make a connection between the camps and the recently arrested attackers," Kalla added. Intelligence operatives have also revealed the existence of JI training camps in other parts of the country as well, including Bogor, West Java.

Meanwhile, in the Palu District Court opened on Tuesday the trial of suspected JI treasurer Fajri alias Yusuf charged with the antiterrorism law. Presided over by judge I Nyoman Somanadha, the court heard charges by prosecutor Fefry Silahahi, who said the defendant played a role as a bookkeeper for the JI cell operating in Sulawesi.

20.    Friday, Oct 31, 2003. Government names JI suspects sought over Poso.

The Central Sulawesi Police released the sketches of five suspects still at large following recent pre-dawn assaults on villages in the Poso District in October, which killed 10 people. Three of the suspects are from Java, identified as Musa (25), Musap (25), and Ilham (25). The remaining two have been named as Basri (25), and Ramlan (24), both local residents of Bugis origin. The five have been specifically accused of being involved in the attacks on the four mainly Christian villages of Pinedapa, Saatu, Pantangolemba and Madale in Poso Pesisir sub-district on Oct. 11 and 12, 2003. Again we see a positive sign, but for the reality to work through. There have been so many disappointments and broken pledges that the Christian community is finding it hard to believe the Government. The proof is in the actions taken, not the words spoken.

21.    Friday, Oct 31, 2003. Laskar Jundullah welcomed in Poso by the Mayor Muin Pusadan. Response by a cynical local writer, Joko.

"The Laskar Jundullah have just visited Poso and were welcomed by the Mayor, Muin Pusadan. Hey, didn't this happen in 2001 with the Laskar Jihad and just before a major escalation of violence? Could it be happening again? No, not possible, the Government has guaranteed that all is well. Wait a moment, didn't they do that in 2000 and 2001 and 2002? Will it be any different this time? Of course it will. Didn't the police go after the terrorist attackers in Beteleme after October 10 and kill 3 of them and arrest 12 others? Yes they did, but it seems these police were mainly Christians from North Sulawesi and so this has unsettled the Muslim attackers and the State Police Chief, Brigadier General Drs. Taufik Ridha, who has graciously responded to the protests of these terrorists and transferred these irresponsible police units out of the area. Really, it is just not fair that these terrorist attackers should have to be shot at and captured and maybe killed. After all, being a jihad terrorist is supposed to be fun having target practice at Christians and burning down their homes. No one is supposed to shoot back that's just not part of the game! It's just not fair!

Well, if reports are to be believed, and it seems consistent with information from a number of trusted sources, the new LJ's are planning suicide missions into Tentena the capital of the Christian hinterland. What does that mean? Does it mean that someone will take a bomb strapped to them to the headquarters of the Central Sulawesi Protestant Church, or to the crowded market, or the Christian hospital, or a Church during Sunday services or does it mean a suicide squad that will try to accomplish all of the above in one hit? The danger signs still exist and we still wait for the security forces to eliminate the source of these terrorist attacks."

21.    Friday, Nov 7, 2003. JI terrorist wanted over Bali also involved in Poso. Al-Qaeda behind attacks against Christians in Poso.

A leading member of the Jamaah Islamiyah (JI) terror group who is wanted for the Bali bombings played an important role in last month's deadly attacks on Christians in Indonesia. Police reports showed that Dulmatin, who allegedly helped make the Bali bombs, had "indeed played an important role" in the attacks which killed 10 people in Central Sulawesi, said police Inspector General Ansyaad Mbai. Mbai, who heads the security ministry's anti-terror desk, is the first official publicly to blame the al-Qaeda linked JI for the attacks in the Poso district. "We have clear facts of his involvement in the violence in Poso," Mbai stated. He said police learned that Dulmatin had been in Poso at the time of the killings. "He might still be hiding there but he might have already left the area." Masked gunmen killed 10 people in mainly Christian villages in the religiously divided Poso district. Eight of them died in raids on three villages on October 12, the first anniversary of the Bali blasts which killed 202 people and which are blamed on JI. US sources in the Commission for Religious Freedom have stated that Al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for the October 12 attacks in Central Sulawesi to coincide with the anniversary of the Bali bombing. That's why the attacks were launched late Saturday night October 11 and into the early hours of October 12. The Bali bombing last year was around 11.15pm Saturday night October 12.

21.   Tuesday, Nov 11, 2003. Omega Bus HQ bombed in Tentena, Poso.

A low-explosive bomb ripped through an office belonging to bus company PT Omega in Tentena, causing panic among locals. No fatalities were reported. Tentena is the capital of North Pamona and home to over 20,000 Christian refugees from Poso. The explosion destroyed a garage of the PT Omega ticketing office in Tentena, which managed Omega buses traveling the Tentena-Palu route.

Sources say the bomb was delivered on Monday night, on an Omega bus that had just arrived from Palu, the capital of Central Sulawesi. All passengers got off the bus, but a passenger had apparently left a bag behind. The bus driver took the bag to the office and entrusted it to a PT Omega employee, hoping that the owner of the bag would return to claim it. On Tuesday morning, an Omega employee moved the unidentified bag to a garage in the office. Some 45 minutes later, an explosion was heard from the garage and caused panic in the surrounding neighborhood. Locals quickly reported the explosion to the police. Chief of Poso Police Adj. Sr. Comr. Abdi Dharma said they were investigating the incident. "We are still investigating who is the owner of this bag," he said.

This incident has raised fears of an impending attack and of a lack of resolve and ability on the part of the security forces to provide adequate protection.

21.   Saturday, Nov 15, 2003. Rev. Tadjodja, Synod Treasurer of GKST, and his nephew assassinated.

Repeated provocative attacks against Christians have failed to escalate the conflict in Poso. Since the Malino Accord there has not been any revenge attacks against Muslim villages. But the Christians have been attacked, shot, killed, villages burned and looted and the Christians have not been provoked into revenge. Now the terrorists have stepped up a notch and assassinated the Synod treasurer of the Central Sulawesi Christian Church (GKST), Mr. Oranje Tadjodja (60), and his nephew, Yohanes Tadjodja (33). Mr. Tadjodja was assigned by the GKST Synod Board to visit the Pantangolemba village, one of the villages attacked October 12, to preach in GKST's congregation. He left Tentena with Johanes at around 4.00 pm. They were unable to pass Poso due to Moslem demonstrations outside the Police HQ's protesting the arrest of the jihad squads taking part in the attacks against Christian villages over the past month. This meant that they would have passed through Poso around 5.30 pm and should have arrived in Pantangolemba by 6.00 pm. On Saturday morning, the police captured one of the Poso terrorists in Amana village; he was shot on the leg while trying to escape. On the same day, after the "Lohor" Moslem prayer, the Poso police captured some other men in the Tabalu village. They were suspected of being the attackers of Christian villages in Poso Pesisir villages on October 12. Hamid Sudin (22) attacked the police and was shot and killed. Hamid's body and two others were directly taken to Police HQ's in Palu One of the others, Hamid's brother, was found to be not involved, so he was released mid-afternoon, but the bruises to his body indicated he had been beaten heavily during the interrogation. This incident probably sparked the attack against Rev. Tadjodja and his nephew.

Their bodies were discovered Sunday November 16, 2003, by a policeman in the Puna River at 12.30 pm. The car was hidden in the bush in the area between the Puna River and the Tabalu village, 15 km from Poso. Tabalu is a Moslem village that was a major base of the Laskar Jihad. The car glass windows were all broken. According to the police they were killed around 6.30 pm Saturday evening. From the wounds on the body both of them were tortured, beaten and terrorized before being executed by shooting and then being stabbed and cut up with machete knives before their bodies were thrown into the river. Mr. Tadjodja's head was totally crushed, and his face was almost beyond recognition. He was hit with a hard and heavy object to the back of his head, while Yohanes, who was driving, had his throat slit. This sadistic act almost totally beheaded him. The bodies were brought to Poso Public Hospital for autopsy.

21.    Sunday, Nov 16, 2003. Two more Christians murdered in Poso.

Moslem masses totalling more than a thousand, many from Tabalu, other Poso Pesisir villages and Poso City. They demonstrated and protested in front of the Poso Police Station around 12 noon demanding the police release of Sutri and Irwan, the men arrested the day before. The mob burned used tires, put them on the streets in Poso City, stopped vehicles to check identity papers and chanted at the police calling for the release of their detained comrades. Does this sound as though the local Moslems do not have an interest in the current upturn in violence as Jusuf Kalla and Da'i Bachtiar would have us believe? Is it really just a few hard-core terrorists that are behind what is going on or is it indeed the whole of the Islamic community? The answer maybe somewhere in between the two.

A Christian named Ben Sumbaluwu, who had just graduated with his M.Th. from the Tentena Theological College, a member of GKST from the Wawopada village was passing through on the way to Palu on his motorcycle was stopped by masses in front of the Asean Shop in Poso Central Market, was dragged from his motorcycle and beaten to death. His body was thrown behind the market. His motorcycle was burnt. Ben's body together with another dead body, Mr. Bowo, a Christian member of GKST from Ranononcu village, was found around 1.00 pm in the same market.

During the afternoon family members of Rev. Tadjodja and his nephew tried to enter Poso to claim their bodies, but the city was blockaded by the Muslim community. Eventually the police went to the hospital and brought the bodies to Kawua to the waiting family. Why can't the police and the military carry out the instructions of Security Minister Yudhoyono and act firmly against these perpetrators of violence, murder and terrorism? One day the Christian community has great hopes in the Government taking firm action. The next day those hopes are shattered.

22.   Monday, Nov 17, 2003. Moslem man disappears from bus in Christian village

Husain Garusu, a 46-year-old local civil servant, has been reported missing. He was last seen traveling aboard a passenger bus from the provincial capital of Palu to Morowali regency, via Poso and Tentena. Three armed men at Kuku village in North Pamona, Poso, according to police and villagers, stopped the bus. Residents in Kuku have stated that they have no knowledge of his whereabouts. Local reports circulating suggest that Husain became afraid for his life after all passengers were ordered to disembark.

It is suggested that because of his fear, he fled into the jungles. The bus was searched for guns and bombs and the passengers were allowed to re-board the bus and continue on their journey, minus Husain who's whereabouts is a mystery. In the nearby village of Tampemodoro there was a report the next day that one of their canoes, tied to the bank of the Poso River, had been stolen. One theory is that Mr. Garusu fled through the jungles to the River and is making his way back to Poso. However Poso Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Abdi Dharma said officers had so far only found a pair trousers possibly belonging to Mr. Garusu in the search for his whereabouts. "We will continue to look for him," he said. The other possibility is that an evil deed has been perpetrated against him. We continue to wait for further information.

23.   Wednesday, Nov 19, 2003. Police Post attacked in Tonipa.

Despite heightened security measures in Poso, gunmen launched a fresh attack just after midnight. The terrorists, numbering at least 15, targeted a security post in the village of Tonipa near Toini, Poso Pesisir sub-district; at around 12:30 a.m. Tonipa is a Christian village currently being rebuilt after it was totally destroyed in May 2000. These jihad warriors fired shots twice at the post, where police officers on guard immediately took cover and returned their fire. A gun battle erupted and after around 10 minutes of fighting the gunmen fled into nearby jungle.

No casualties were reported but many local villagers were forced to flee their homes in panic, as they feared they were being targeted. The local authorities evacuated some other local residents to safer areas after the incident. The local police said dozens of military and police officers were deployed to search for the gunmen.

24.   Thursday-Saturday, Nov 20-22, 2003. Villages terrorized by nighttime shootings.

For three successive nights residents in the villages of Matako, Lage, Tonipa for a second time, Silanca and Kawua have been awoken to rounds of gunfire in Poso reported they heard gunshots on Thursday and Friday nights. "There were no casualties. We suspect that the gunmen, whom we are still after, were only trying to put fear into people as the Eid-al-Fitr holiday approaches," said District Deputy Police Chief Rudi Trenggono.

25.    Monday Nov 24, 2003. Palu Church targeted again for bombing.

Around 3.00 pm a bomb was found in the courtyard between the church and the manse of the Palu Ekklesia Pentecostal Church. This is the third time this church has been targeted. The first time occurred during a New Years Eve service Dec. 31, 2001. Serious injuries were avoided as the congregation was on their knees praying to welcome in the New Year. The shrapnel flew over their heads smashing windows and damaging walls. The second bomb in mid-2002 turned out to be a dud. The latest bomb was dragged away from the buildings and exploded by the police. It was a low-explosive device meant more to create terror than major damage. A police spokesman said that there were still 20 bombs that they are searching for and that all should remain on alert.

25.    Tuesday Nov 25, 2003. An unofficial special investigative unit at work

Reports have come to light of an unofficial special investigative team gathering evidence to uncover the active agents and their motives for creating and maintaining unrest in the Districts of Poso and Morowali.

a.       This special investigation is uncovering the masterminds behind the unrest in Poso and gathering evidence of their modus operandi, transportation and weapons.

b.       Preliminary indications suggest that there may be complicity between the Mayor of Poso, Abdul Muin Pusadan, and the Governor of Central Sulawesi in Palu, Aminuddin Ponulele, as the ones organizing and financing terrorist operations. Although there is much circumstantial evidence, more hard evidence is still being sought by this investigative unit.

c.       The investigation unit has confirmed the existence of Laskar Jundullah and their meetings with the Mayor, but cannot confirm what was actually said. The indications are that they are working together.

d.       Information from the investigation unit suggests that there is no imminent attack against Tentena planned for Eid-el-Fitr but there are indications of a build up toward more hit and run terror attacks in December with only a slight possibility of a major offensive against Tentena. The investigation unit also believes that there has been sufficient response from the security forces in recent weeks to disrupt and delay plans to invade Tentena, but not sufficient to totally destroy that plan. Further aggressive actions by the security forces in the form of strict enforcement of the law, seizing all illegal weapons, arresting all those participating in terrorist activities and providing appropriate security for all peace-loving citizens, will assist in providing a conducive atmosphere for the full restoration of law and order, peace and harmony, and a more secure and prosperous future for all.

We trust that these findings of the investigative unit can help bring peace to the area.

Joko Harmono

Jakarta, November 25, 2003