AsiaNews, 10 March, 2006
Rising tension in Moluccas and Sulawesi
Fifteen big checkpoints have been set up in Palu. Meanwhile, in Ambon, violence has
followed tension between police and army troops.
 Palu (AsiaNews) – The bomb which went off this morning
outside a Hindu temple in Poso, central Sulawesi, is only
the latest in a string of incidents in the Indonesian
provinces of the Moluccas and Central Sulawesi. Every
time there is another attack, the population is reminded of
the two bloody inter-religious conflicts that shook the area
between 1999 and 2001.
Central Sulawesi
Violence seems destined to go on forever here. The police have now decided to set up
15 big checkpoints around the capital Palu. The commander of the provincial security
forces, Inspector General Paul Purwoko, said the initiative was aimed at preventing
"all possible attacks". Palu has thus been divided into 15 sectors, where the military
and police "are on a state of highest alert to anticipate any situation". No explanation
has been given, however, about what "these specific situations" could be.
Local sources said security operations have been stepped in recent days: special
police troops armed with semi-automatic guns have been placed in strategic places
around the town. "They are there from dawn until desk," said one resident "The
situation is like a state of civil emergency."
Even Poso is under tight security after the arrest of two local residents who are
suspected terrorists: Walid and Khalid. From 2000 to 2001, the inter-religious conflict
in Poso led to around 1000 deaths. In 2001, Muslim and Christian leaders signed a
peace deal. The level of violence dropped but murders – largely unpunished – have
continued.
Moluccas
There was more violence in the provincial capital, Ambon, last weekend. A soldier was
killed on 4 March and a student was seriously injured after police fired on a crowd of
people. Both incidents followed tensions between the police and the army. The head
of the police of the Moluccas said everything started when a policeman killed a soldier
on 2 March, outside the general headquarters of the police in Tantui, Ambon.
After these incidents, local residents say they are afraid to go out at night and during
the day, they see men from both corps circulating the city in groups and carrying
weapons.
"The military and police should protect people and not create problems," said the
relative of the injured boy. Another resident added: "These tensions risk destroying
the peace only recently re-established."
The conflict between Christians and Muslims in the Moluccas (1999 – 2001) led to
the death of 5,000 people and the displacement of 500,000.
Copyright © 2003 AsiaNews All rights reserved.
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Palu (AsiaNews) – The bomb which went off this morning
outside a Hindu temple in Poso, central Sulawesi, is only
the latest in a string of incidents in the Indonesian
provinces of the Moluccas and Central Sulawesi. Every
time there is another attack, the population is reminded of
the two bloody inter-religious conflicts that shook the area
between 1999 and 2001.