Laskar Jihad takes over 5 villages in Poso after 13 hours of
assault
Posted on: November 30, 2001 02:58:56 PM GMT
Thursday, November 29, 2001
Poso, INDONESIA - Wednesday, after 13 hours of assault by attackers equipped
with heavy weapons, Laskar Jihad took over five villages near Poso, Central Sulawesi:
Betalemba, Patibunga, Tangkura, Pantangolemba, and Menjeng. Christians in Poso,
with little defensive hardware, have to face deadly assaults launched by Laskar Jihad
day after day. And with no decisive action from the Indonesian security forces, both
military and police, Christians in Poso are facing a serious threat of death every day.
The justice system is becoming an injustice system for Christians as well.
For example, a Christian who is found with a machete will be sentenced to several
years imprisonment, while a Laskar Jihad member with an AK-47 will go to jail for only
seven months.
The inability of the Indonesian security forces to provide stability for the people of
Poso, especially protection from outsiders such as Laskar Jihad, is a reflection of
confused political resolve among the Indonesian elite. This confusion is exemplified by
the recent meeting of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono with the Indonesian Council of
Churches. He stated that the presence of Laskar Jihad in Poso and Maluku is
necessary for self-defense purposes to prevent attacks by Christians against the
Muslims.
Yet his assertion could scarcely be farther from the actual situation. In reality,
provocations and assaults are nearly all initiated by the Laskar Jihad, and Laskar
Jihad is armed with much heavier weapons.
Detailed assessments on the current developments in Poso are still being gathered.
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