Poso tense as hunt continues for militants

National News - January 24, 2007
Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Poso

Police continued their hunt for suspected militants in Poso on Tuesday, a day after 13 people and one policeman were killed in a bloody clash between police and suspects.

Central Sulawesi Police Brig. Gen. Badrodin Haiti blamed the armed civilians for triggering the clash by throwing handmade explosives at the officers.
He said his office had issued shoot-on-sight instructions for armed civilians. "So, I'm responsible for the incident because it was according to my instructions," Badrodin told The Jakarta Post Tuesday.

More than 50 other alleged militants are believed to have escaped the crackdown, fleeing to nearby hills and jungles.

Badrodin said some of the escapees were thought to have undergone combat training in Afghanistan and the insurgency-wracked Southern Philippines. "They are dangerous because they still have automatic weapons and ammunition," he told Associated Press. "We are searching for them."

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Sisno Adiwinoto said in Jakarta on Tuesday that the firearms used by the terror group came from a neighboring country. "We suspect they were brought from the Philippines," Sisno said.

Defense Ministry secretary-general Lt. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said the ministry supported the police's crackdown on armed civilians, because their weapons were not used to protect the country but to shoot officers.

"If these actions cause victims, it's because of that gunfire," he was quoted as saying by Detikcom.

Police said they seized a large haul of ammunition and bombs from the alleged militants' base in Tanah Runtuh district in Poso. Tensions in the area have been running high since three Christians were executed in September for their roles in sectarian violence in the province.

Authorities have arrested 24 other civilians, including two on the wanted list. They are Tugiran and Wiwin Kalahe al Tomo.

The two fugitives' families denied they were arrested, however, saying the two surrendered out of fear that they would be shot by the police.

Hundreds of residents in Poso turned out for the burial of the victims.
A day after the crackdown, Poso remained tense, with schools and many stores staying closed despite the arrival of 200 reinforcements from the National Police.
Police imposed tighter security checks on roads heading in and out of Poso, and traffic was much lighter than usual.

Muslim leaders criticized the crackdown, however, saying it would fail to put an end to the real problems in conflict-torn Poso. Nahdlatul Ulama chairman Hasyim Muzadi urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to take over the matter personally.

"But the problem is, our President never takes over a problem. He will just set up a team. He should oversee this matter," he said in Malang, East Java, on Tuesday.
He said the Poso conflict has reached an "emergency" level since it involves armed
civilians. Setting up a government team, he said, would not solve the problem.

Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin expressed his concern and urged the government not to be heavy-handed in its efforts to combat terrorism.

"We support the fight against terrorism, but not repressive acts. Such acts will not solve the problem but could cause new wounds among the people. The most important thing is for the police to uncover those responsible for the Poso conflicts," he said in text message sent to the Post Tuesday.

Separately, Trimedya Panjaitan, chairman of the House of Representatives' Commission III on security affairs, said the House would send a team to investigate the crackdown. (06)

-- Wahyoe Boediwardhana contributed to the story from Malang, East Java.