Central Sulawesi: Police, Laskar Mujahiddin Clash After

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000152 SIPDIS FROM AMCONSUL SURABAYA 0005 DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, DRL DEPT FOR DS/T/ATA, DS/IP/ITA, DS/DO/ICI, DS/IP/EAP SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958 TAGS: PTER PINS PGOV PNAT PHUM KJUS KISL CACS ID SUBJECT: Central Sulawesi: Police, Laskar Mujahiddin Clash After Terrorist Raid ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Central Sulawesi police and Detachment 88 raided two safe houses in Poso, Central Sulawesi on the morning of January 11, 2006 killing two and capturing 4 members of Laskar Mujahiddin (LM) on their "most wanted" list of 29 terrorists operating in the province. A Poso police officer was beaten to death the same day by a mob of mourners as he passed the funeral of one of the dead LM members. LM members and police clashed in a gun battle on January 15, reportedly resulting in no injuries or arrests. A police spokesman's statement that the police were instructed to "shoot on sight" any person on their wanted list that did not immediately surrender was later recanted. Police waited over three months before pursuing the terrorist suspects but their tactics in searching for the terrorists are reportedly angering the local Muslim community and garnering support for the LM fugitives. No Amcits are believed to be visiting or residing in Poso who could be affected by the violence. END SUMMARY Police Raid Terrorist Safe Houses -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Central Sulawesi police and Detachment 88 raided two Laskar Mujahiddin (LM) safe houses in Poso, Central Sulawesi on the morning of January 11, 2007. Police encountered fierce resistance from the occupants from small arms fire and thrown improvised explosive devices (IEDs),destroying several police vehicles. Two of the occupants were killed, Dedy Parsan and Rian, and one critically injured in the raid, while nine were arrested. Several others escaped on foot. Police confiscated rifles, ammunition, rocket propelled grenades and unused IEDs from the house. Immediately following the raid, police conducted a house-to-house search for the escapees, bursting into dozens of homes and firing weapons in the air to keep residents from moving around the area of the raid. Police raided the safehouses in search of Laskar Mujahiddin members on a "most wanted" list of 29 terrorism suspects in connection to past incidences of sectarian violence in Central Sulawesi. One of the dead victims, Dedy Parsan and all four arrested, Anang Muthalib, Imam a.k.a. Sarjono, Upik a.k.a. Pagar and Abdul Muis were allegedly LM members and on the wanted list. According to Muhammad Darlis, a JOURNALIST for Tempo, police had been negotiating with LM all the way up to a January 10 meeting for all the LM members on the list to surrender to police for questioning. Police finally lost patience with LM's lack of cooperation and raided the houses the next day. Police Officer Murdered by Mourners -------------- ¶3. (SBU) On the afternoon of January 11, a local police officer, Sgt. Dedy Hendra, was stopped by hundreds of mourners attending Rian's funeral and beaten to death. According to Sofyan Lembah, head of the Central Sulawesi Child Protection Agency and a local Muslim leader, Rian was a highly respected local "ustadz" (religious teacher) in Poso, and local Muslims were furious that the police had killed him along with the terrorists. Sofyan and other Muslim leaders met with the Central Sulawesi Police Chief Badrodin Haiti (an ethnic Madurese Muslim) on January 12 to lodge their protest and demand and explanation of the police's actions. Lembah was unsatisfied with Haiti's response that police were following established laws and procedures. A police spokesman said January 17 that Rian, a.k.a. Santoso and Abdul Hakim, trained in Afghanistan. He went on further to say that Rian was considered to be the number two man in "Afghan Jemaah Islamiyah" (Comment: We cannot confirm either the name attributed to the organization or Rian's reported position, but we suspect the spokesman was being imprecise.) Rian reportedly trained in Afghanistan with Mukhlas, currently in jail for involvement in the first Bali bombing. At the time we spoke with our Muslim contacts, they were angry a local community leader was killed and completely unaware of Rian's clandestine involvement with radical Muslim groups or his background in Afghanistan. Police Battle Laskar Mujahiddin -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The violence continued on the night of January 13 when two pipe bombs exploded in the Poso Central Market. There were no injuries reported. On the afternoon of January 15, unidentified men attacked police by throwing rocks in Gebang Rejo Subdistrict of Poso City. Police pursued their attackers and a gun battle ensued between police and LM members that lasted until the next morning. Surprisingly, no one was injured or arrested, but the city stayed shut down for most of the day with few people venturing out. Our JAKARTA 00000152 002 OF 002 contacts described the situation as "tense and scary". On January 16, police met with local Muslim leaders and promised not to conduct more raids in Gebang Rejo as long as the situation remained safe and calm. We have reports that Poso has reopened, but residents are wary of renewed violence. Police Chief Declares "Shoot On Sight"; Later Recants -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Police Chief Haiti announced January 12 that he had instructed all police to "shoot on sight" any member of the terrorist list that does not immediately surrender to police. The statement, which is not in conformity with official police policy, was later recanted. Tasrif Siara, an independent journalist, said that Poso police are using "repressive" methods to aggressively hunt down and capture members of their wanted list, especially in Gebang Rejo Village. Siara added that police are forcing their way into Gebang Rejo homes, without cause, in pursuit of their suspects, angering local Muslims. Sofyan added, "The police have thrown away all efforts at community policing. They are entering homes of people not involved with violence and firing their weapons, terrorizing the whole village." Local Muslims note the stark difference between the ways police are pursuing the 29 Muslim terrorists on their list compared to the 16 Christians named by Fabianus Tibo as accomplices during his mass murder trial. ¶6. (SBU) Consulate General Surabaya has no record of registered Americans in or around Poso and no information that any American tourists, students, or businessmen were in the affected area. The Travel Warning released on January 9, 2007, specifically warns Americans to avoid Central and South Sulawesi. COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (SBU) After giving the 29 members of their wanted list over three months to turn themselves in, Central Sulawesi police are finally taking bold steps to apprehend LM members openly operating in their province. Our Christian contacts quietly support increasing pressure on LM as a way to reduce the threat of future violence. Our Muslim contacts describe a changing dynamic emerging in Poso as the potential reaction to police actions. Few local Muslims agree with LM's philosophy or methods, but some are alleging that the police action has been harsh, and are sympathizing with the terror suspects. Our contacts suggest that the police may replace Christians as objects for renewed violence in the region based on perceived differences in police treatment of Christians and Muslims. PASCOE