Terrorist manhunt in Java began with Poso arrests, says observer
M. Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post, Ambon, 3 April 2007

Information gleaned from the January arrests of several terror suspects in Poso, Central Sulawesi, has assisted the current manhunt for members of terrorist organization Jamaah Islamiyah in Central Java and Yogyakarta, according to an observer.
Sidney Jones, the director of the International Crisis Group's Southeast Asia Project, said Monday police were able to extract information from one of the men arrested in Poso, Mujadir, also known as Brekele.
"I'm positive the (current) operation initiated from the arrests of suspects in Poso in January. Those arrested in Sleman are also close to the group in Poso, such as Agus, who has ties with Abu Dujana. Police probably knew about their presence in Central Java and Yogyakarta through his followers, who were caught in Poso," Jones told The Jakarta Post in Ambon on Saturday.
Abu Dujana is the second most wanted man in Indonesia after Noordin M. Top and thought to be part of a new organization within JI.
Jones said police were targeting Abu Dujana, but were only able to arrest six JI members, all followers of Abu Dujana.
One of them was shot and injured and another was shot dead by police. The raid in Sleman, added Jones, was closely related to the previous arrests.
During the Poso conflict, the network was busted up after the arrest of several members. The rest returned to their command centers in Java, especially Central and East Java.
Jones said Mujadir, who had been in Poso for a long time, graduated from a JI Islamic boarding school in Indramayu, West Java, and is close to Noordin M. Top.
Police hoped to be able to arrest Noordin, or at least Abu Dujana, through Mujadir. An Islamic teacher in Poso, Ustad Sahal, also reportedly provided information about the link between Poso and the group in Central Java.
According to Jones, the suspects also have been supplying bombs to Poso.
The discovery of thousands of rounds of ammunition, weapons and half a ton of explosive materials kept by a JI member in Bendosari in Sukaharjo, Central Java, believed to be owned by Abu Dujana, indicated that supplies of explosive materials to Poso were being dispatched from Central Java, according to Jones.
"Whether they were used in Tentena of other places is still unclear, but members from the Tanah Runtuh group get their supply of explosives from Central Java. There is a fraternity link between JI graduates in Central Java and teachers sent to Poso. Mujadir is from Central Java but stayed and taught in Poso for a long time. They still have close ties with those in Central Java," said Jones.
Abu Dujana became a police target after his name kept appearing as a JI amir, or leader. Despite that, Jones expressed confidence that Abu Dujana was not the highest leader in the network, but only one of its leaders.
Jones said Abu Dujana had so far been able to evade arrest through the support of hundreds of loyal JI members in Central Java and Yogyakarta.
"Yogyakarta, Klaten and Semarang are believed to be the base of JI in Indonesia now," said Jones, adding that the group also has a footing in East Java.
She said Central and East Java were the areas with the most JI members and the most militant members.
She said the latest round of arrests clearly showed the link between Poso and Central Java. Although a number of JI members have been caught in Poso and Java, it is still not easy to sever the link between the areas.
Although the number of terrorist acts in Poso, including bombings, might drop as a result of these arrests, Jones said the violence would return if the roots of the problem were not resolve.
She said the government could not rely on repressive measures to resolve the conflict in Poso, but had to take a more comprehensive approach.
"People are still traumatized and frustrated by the unresolved cases from 2000, when Muslims were butchered in Poso. Some feel the loss of their land and property could create other problems, especially when they have not been compensated. If such sentiments prevail among the Muslims in Poso, they will be easy targets to be recruited by the terror group," she said.