Jakarta sends army to Poso: Growing Islamist threat
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - The Indonesian military (TNI) is planning to stage a series of exercises - the first in the area - concentrated in Poso, Central Sulawesi town at the end of March.
The Minister for Political, Security and Legal Affairs Tedjo Edy Purdijatno, says the objective is to ensure security during the annual regatta, which this year will be held next September in the waters of the Gulf Tomini.
However, according to analysts and policy experts the local sailing race is an excuse to mask the military's real aim which is to prevent the threat posed by terrorist movements active in the area for some time.
At the head of these Islamist groups is the leading jihadist Santoso, Indonesia's "most wanted man". He, along with militant groups that refer to his leadership, has taken refuge in mountainous areas or in the forests that surround the city.
The security situation in Poso, Central Sulawesi province, is still fragile and provisional, as confirmed to AsiaNews by Lian Gogali, a women's rights local activist . Homicides, incidents of violence and terrorism are on the increase in the midst of police inaction. Since last November, there has been an escalation in attacks, kidnappings, assassinations of an Islamic nature and the barbaric mutilation of bodies.
According to reports from minister Purdijatno, security "is our main concern" given the presence of "many foreign teams" participating in the event, which is to be conducted "without any problem".
And responding to a question on the situation in the area, he added that the army would restore order, rule of law and full control over the region soon.
Between 1997 and 2001, Christians and Muslims were involved in a violent conflict on Sulawesi Island and neighbouring Maluku Islands. Thousands of people died and hundreds of churches and mosques were destroyed. Thousands of homes were also razed. About half a million people found themselves homeless, 25,000 in Poso alone.
On 20 December 2001, the two sides reached a truce that was signed in Malino, South Sulawesi, following a peace initiative by the government. The local population is evenly split between Christians and Muslims.
Despite the peace deal, terrorist incidents continued on and leaving a trail of innocent victims. One of the most horrific cases, which caused indignation around the world, was the beheading by Muslim extremists in October 2005 of three Christian girls on their way to school.
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30/11/2020 12:25
