Police blamed for Poso violence
Ruslan Sangadji, The Jakarta Post, Palu
October 28, 2006

The Central Sulawesi Antiviolence Caucus asserted Friday that four police generals in charge of maintaining order in the conflict-ridden city of Poso should be held responsible for the bloody incident on Jl. Pulau Irian in Gebang Rejo village, Poso, on Oct. 22 in which one man was killed and two others were injured.
The four generals cited by the caucus are National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Paulus Purwoko, crime unit deputy chief Insp. Gen. Gorries Mere, deputy chief of operations Insp. Gen. FX. Sunaryo and Mobile Brigade commander Insp. Gen. S.Y. Wenas.
Besides the four generals, the caucus also asked that Central Sulawesi Police chief. Brig. Gen. Badrodin Haiti and Poso Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Rudi Sufahriyadi be held responsible.
The demand was voiced by the caucus when representatives of the association of Muslim organizations went to the Central Sulawesi Police headquarters where they were received by deputy chief of Central Sulawesi Police Sr. Comr. I Nyoman Sindra.
The incident on Jl. Pulau Irian, popularly known as Tanah Runtuh, led to the death of Syaifuddin, who allegedly was shot by police who were about to conduct a search for weapons and ammunition. Two other people were also reportedly shot by police. One day after the incident, two other people, including a three-year-old child, were shot by stray bullets.
Head of the caucus, Harun Nyak Abu Itam, said at the Central Sulawesi Police Headquarters that the shooting was a brutal act at it was conducted by the police at Amanah Muslim Boarding House for female students.
"That was a brutal act that has gone unreprimanded. The generals are responsible for the incident. They ordered the raid," Harun said.
He said that the handling of the Poso conflict through a repressive militaristic approach had failed to bring about a permanent settlement. Instead of resolving the conflict, such an approach would only create further violence, he added.
"The security officers should have acted as protectors of the community, they should not have acted against the public," Harun said.
The caucus also accused the Central Sulawesi Police of twisting the facts through statements in the media and circulars distributed through mosques on Oct. 23.
In the circular, Nyoman said that the police did not attack Amanah boarding house, but it was attacked by local people...and this sparked the incident.
The caucus said that it was the police, who attacked the residents because the officers had been deployed there since the evening.
Meanwhile, Nyoman said police had detained six residents for carrying weapons during the incident. A number of Mobile Brigade personnel have also been questioned, he said without giving details.