The Jakarta Post, June 26, 2007
Villagers thank God for arrests of three suspected terrorists
Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta
The residents of Donoharjo village in Sleman, Yogyakarta, held a communal prayer
session and feast on the weekend to thank God for the recent capture of suspected
terrorists Adi Kusuma, Suharto and Zarkasih in their village.
"This was a ceremony to thank God because we were spared of possible violence in
our village," said Hartono, the head of Kayunan hamlet.
Led by a local religious figure, the prayer session included several readings from the
Koran.
The villagers also prayed that anti-terror police would be able to perform their duties
without major hindrances.
They also asked God to give them guidance to protect the village from potentially
dangerous situations in the future.
At the end of the prayer session, a ceremonial rice dish in the shape of a cone was
cut by Ngaglik district head Sumarno and shared.
The feast was funded entirely by villagers, who ordered the meal from a catering
company at a cost of Rp 10,000 (US$1.10) per head. At such an event, residents
would usually prepare the meal themselves to save costs.
Hartono said he hoped the capture of the suspected terrorists would mean the village
was safe again. Many residents were shocked that terrorists were able to hide out in
their village.
Hartono said villagers had been reminded to report any newcomers to local
neighborhood heads.
With such a registration system in place, the identity of everyone residing in the
village would be known, he said.
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