Breaking the cycle of conflict in Poso
Mohammad Yazid, Jakarta, February 28, 2007

Parents are normally proud of their offspring. Sadly, however, not all parents are willing to accept their children's shortcomings, particularly if they suffer from a disease or commit acts that bring disgrace on the family.
Experts say accepting bitter realities will help parents cure their ego and at the same time psychologically relieve their children's plight. But instead, denying realities has become prevalent in our society.
This was evident in the public resistance to the crackdown on terror suspects conducted by National Police Special Antiterror Detachment 88 last month in the Tanah Runtuh area of Poso, Central Sulawesi. At least 14 people, including a policeman, were killed in an operation aimed at capturing 26 suspects in ongoing sectarian violence. The operation was launched after negotiations between the police and local ulemas on voluntary submission of the suspects failed.
The tough approach by police sparked protests from various circles. Hard-line Muslim figure Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, the Team of Muslim Attorneys and the Islamic Community Forum demanded the clash be investigated as a breach of human rights. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed regret and ordered an inquiry into the case.
These protests, however, look less reasonable when one considers that the people who protected the 26 suspects resisted law enforcement measures and mounted counterattacks against the police using M-16 and AK-47 assault weapons.
As one of the clerics in Poso acknowledged, the possession of firearms, though intended as a precaution and a measure of self defense, has not helped settle the protracted conflict between groups, which was triggered by a trivial conflict between two youths of different religions at the end of 1998.
Armed resistance, besides being categorized as a rebellion, increasingly signals the influence of terrorism that has so often been denied by hard-line Islamic organizations.
It is even more apparent if we examine the confession of Abdul Muis, the main suspect in the Oct. 2006 shooting of minister Irianto Kongkoli and the Dec. 2005 bombing of the Maesa pork market in Palu. Muis, once a forestry student in Palu, dared to kill after adopting strict religious doctrines.
Muis, who is not a victim of the Poso conflict, referred to the chapter of Attaubah, verse 12, of the Koran, which orders the killing of infidel leaders. The verse is actually conditional in nature. The non-believers meant by the Koran are those of Quraish, the enemy of Prophet Muhammad. This is different from the case of Irianto Kongkoli, who was Muis' compatriot.
In a highly-charged atmosphere resulting from a lack of religious tolerance, the antiterror crackdown understandably hurt the feelings of the Islamic community.
Some Christians have an equally hard time accepting the execution of Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus da Silva and Marinus Riwu on Sept. 22, 2006, for their role in the 2000 killing of Muslims in the Wali Singo Islamic boarding school in Poso. Instead of easing the Muslim-Christian tension, the execution triggered further conflicts.
The time has come, however, to respect the apparatus of government and law enforcement. This includes whatever verdict may come out in the Central Jakarta trial of terror suspect Hasanuddin, accused of slaying three Christian high school students in Poso in October 2005.
This respect could have been manifested by handing in the 26 terror suspects instead of demanding that authorities first act against 16 other people Tibo said had been involved in the violence. Insisting on the latter will only prolong solutions to the Poso problems and make the judicial process difficult, since Tibo has already been executed.
Accepting disappointment takes a great deal of courage. But protecting people from law enforcement only because they are of the same religious faith will not help restore peace to Poso.
The Islamic community has played a significant role in peace-building in Poso following the bloodshed that claimed more than 1,000 lives between 2000 and 2001. Attempts by some Muslim figures to protect terror suspects violate Islamic values, which stress the importance of forgiving and fostering brotherhood regardless of differences in faith.
If a religion is correctly and wisely understood, its dissemination does not have to give rise to disputes. The propagation of Islam across Java centuries ago happened peacefully under nine pious propagators (Wali Songo) known to have been highly tolerant of local cultures.
Settling the Poso conflict will also depend on the way the police tackle the issue. There have been accusations that individual law enforcers are helping the conflicting groups. The discovery of the weapons held by the groups in Poso to a great extent indicates the police's inability to uphold professionalism. The police do not need to deny the accusations, but simply to prove them wrong through their actions.
The writer is a staff member of The Jakarta Post. He can be reached at yazid@thejakartapost.com.