The Jakarta Post, March 12, 2007
Militant to marry in police custody
Ruslan Sangaji, The Jakarta Post, Palu
A Poso militant currently in police custody is set to get married at Central Sulawesi
police headquarters in Palu on Friday.
All facilities for the marriage of Muhammad Ardi, 31, to Yunita, 22, will be provided by
the Central Sulawesi Police and the Densus 88 anti-terror police unit.
"I had planned to get married earlier, but because I've been detained at police
headquarters since my capture, I will get married here," Ardin said at Bhayangkara
Hospital in Palu on Saturday.
Ardin has been engaged to Yunita for one year. The two agreed to have their wedding
at the police headquarters' mosque.
Ardin, a member of the Laskar Kompak militant group, was arrested by police in an
operation at Kayamanya village in Poso on Jan. 31, 2007. At the time of his arrest he
was with Basri, a man high on the police's most-wanted list. Police say Ardi was shot
in the leg while trying to resist arrest.
Ardin was treated at Bhayangkara Hospital and can now walk normally. Together with
Ardin at the hospital was Muhamad Jufri, 25, who was shot in the gut during a clash
between police and militants at Tanah Runtuh in Poso on Jan. 22. He also received a
wound from being hit in the head with the butt of a police rifle.
Ardin said before his arrest, he and several others on the police's wanted list were
caught twice by traffic police for not having vehicle documents. However, he was
released after paying a fine of Rp 30,000 (US$3.15).
The first time police stopped Ardin and his group, they were in the process of
launching their fatal shooting of Rev. Susianti Tinulele at Efatha church in Palu in
2004.
Ardin said the intended victim of the attack was not Susianti but Rev. Irianto Kongkoli.
However, unbeknownst to Ardin's group, Susianti had taken Kongkoli's place at the
time of the attack.
"According to the schedule, Rev. Kongkoli was available at the church. We realized
later through the media there was a change in the schedule after the shooting," Ardin
said.
Ardin said the second time his group was stopped by police, in Dec. 2005, they were
on their way to Palu to attack the Immanuel and Anugerah churches. They were
stopped in front of Central Sulawesi mobile brigade headquarters in Palu. All in the car
were searched and released after police failed to find any prohibited items.
"At the last operation, I was very afraid because our mission... was to shoot
churchgoers. In the two churches there were many churchgoers from Poso. That was
our target," he said.
Ardin expressed remorse for the attacks said he was ready to accept any sentence
he receives.
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