The Jakarta Post, June 07, 2002
Da'i urges Poso people to avoid provocation
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar asked the conflicting Christian and Muslim
camps in Poso regency, Central Sulawesi, on Thursday not to be provoked by a bomb
blast in public bus serving the Palu-Poso-Tentena route.
Speaking in the West Nusa Tenggara provincial capital of Mataram, Da'i said the
bombings that had rocked the regency in the five months since the Malino peace deal
was signed were the work of "outsiders".
"We ask the people of Poso to remain calm and not to be provoked into violating the
law .... The police will continue efforts to arrest the bombers," the general said as
quoted by Antara.
"The latest bombing was part of the provocation by those who do not want the people
of Poso to live in peace," he said.
The bus bombing on Wednesday left four people dead and 17 others injured.
Da'i said the police were investigating the incident, and expressed hope that this
latest bombing would not trigger a fresh outbreak of the sectarian violence that ripped
through the regency in 2000 and 2001.
The government-initiated Malino peace accord, named after the town in South
Sulawesi where the peace talks were held, was signed in December last year.
It was hoped the accord would bring to an end the violent conflict between the
Christian and Muslim communities in the regency.
The peace deal called for the disarming of the civilians, sending back to their
hometowns migrants who arrived in Poso after the conflict began, repairing houses
and buildings damaged in the violence, pulling out troops from the area and
encouraging villagers to set up neighborhood patrols to prevent outbreaks of violence.
According to Da'i, the Malino accord has been successful, leading to the restoration
of security and order in Poso.
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