SULAWESI UPDATE -- TENSION IN THE SOUTH, CALM IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 000011 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/MLS, INR/EAP, DS/IP/EAP, S/CT DS/T/ATA NSC FOR EPHU E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/03/2018 TAGS: PGOV PINS PREL ID SUBJECT: SULAWESI UPDATE -- TENSION IN THE SOUTH, CALM IN POSO REF: A. JAKARTA 3469 ¶B. JAKARTA 3214 ¶C. JAKARTA 3143 ¶D. SURABAYA 91 ¶E. SURABAYA 74 JAKARTA 00000011 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: Pol/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4(b+d). ¶1. (U) This message was coordinated with Consulate General Surabaya. ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: Tensions are bubbling up in the southern part of Sulawesi--an island in central Indonesia with about 20 million people--over a recent election. In the meantime, after years of violence in the Poso region of central Sulawesi, the police report that the situation is now so calm that they have begun to scale back deployments. In North Sulawesi, the Marine Police are utilizing four patrol boats--recently provided by the USG--to fight transnational crime. While the situation is in some flux in the south, there is no sign that it will get out of control and lead to violence. END SUMMARY. TURBULENCE IN THE SOUTH ¶3. (SBU) There is continuing tension in southern Sulawesi over a disputed recent election. Dueling rallies were held in Makassar, the capital of the South Sulawesi Province, on January 2. The first rally was composed of supporters of Amin Syam, the incumbent governor and Golkar party candidate, who lost the November 5 election. The counter-rally was organized by Syarul Yasin Limpo, a member of the IndonesQn Democratic Party-Struggle (PDIP) and the declared winner of the race. The two sides jostled each other and were eventually separated by the police. No injuries were reported. ¶4. (SBU) The dispute hinges on a December 19 Supreme Court decision stipulating new election polling in several districts due to claims of electoral irregularities (see ref a). That ruling is extremely unpopular with the PDIP camp, which says that the race has already been determined in its favor by the local election commission and no repolling is necessary. The local election commission is urging that the Supreme Court review its ruling and not try to impose repolling. CALM IN POSO ¶5. (C) While the south is in a state of some flux, the situation in the central region of Poso is on the upswing. Indeed, the Indonesian National Police (INP) are transferring officers from Poso to other duties. INP Provincial Police Chief Brigadier General Badrodin Haiti told POLOFF on January 3 that the security situation in what had been a volatile area had calmed sufficiently to move approximately 700 officers from the area. (Note: Tensions in the region between Muslims and Christians had flared in recent years in part due to extremist activities, including attacks organized by the terrorist Jemmaah Islamiyah group.) ¶6. (C) Haiti related that the area would continue to be protected by members of the INP Mobile Brigade and local police. He added that--while the situation in Poso had clearly improved over time--he wanted to maintain peace and stability by keeping a visible police presence throughout the regency (district) in order to make sure that militants and others could not operate with impunity. PATROL BOATS IN THE NORTH ¶7. (SBU) In North Sulawesi, the U.S. Department of Justice International Criminal Investigation Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) program successfully worked with the INP's Marine Police division to launch four patrol boats from the port of Bitung. The boats have been operational since late JAKARTA 00000011 002.2 OF 002 2007 (ref C). The boat crews have received USG training in tactical boarding techniques, search and seizure procedures and marine equipment repair. ¶8. (SBU) The INP has not compiled patrol or arrest statistics for 2007, but the boats are an integral part of police efforts to thwart transnational crime, including terrorism, trafficking in persons, illegal narcotics and other smuggling efforts, in the Sulawesi Sea region (the Sulawesi Sea is located between Sulawesi Island and Mindanao in the Philippines). The ICITAP program will provide a total of 15 patrol boats to the police by early 2008. These boats will be deployed to several different sites in Indonesia. POSITIVE NEWS ¶9. (C) The news regarding Poso continues to be largely positive. There had been fears that the area could degenerate further, but constructive, calibrated security force operations seem to have almost halted extremist activities. While the situation is a bit tense in the south, there is no sign that it will get out of control and lead to violence. HUME