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December 30, 2005

Indonesia: Christians Killed In Bomb Attack - Are Islamists To Blame?

The Jakarta Post and BBC report that a bomb has exploded outside a house which was selling pork meat to Christians on Saturday morning. The region was also busy with passers by, shopping.

A witness, speaking to Associated Press, said: "The explosion was so loud, I couldn't hear for a couple of seconds. I ran out of my house and saw bodies lying around."

Six people have been killed and 43 others injured in the blast which happened in Mahesa, in the southern part of the town of Palu, the regional capital of Central Sulawesi. A kiosk stood beside the house. Many victims had been lining up at this kiosk to buy pork, which is considered unclean and haram by Muslims.

There have been conflicts between Christians and Muslims in the region, which reached a peak between 2000 and 20001, in which 1,000 died. The sectarian conflict appears to be currently invoked by extremists, who are committing atrocities against Christians in Central Sulawesi.

Three Christian schoolgirls were decapitated in Poso on October 29, followed by two girls shot in the head and critically wounded on November 8, and on Friday November 18 three teenagers were shot at, with one girl killed. On the same day, a group of three young Christian women was attacked by machete wielding men in masks at Wirabuana near Palu. One woman was severely injured, another bled to death from a neck wound. On Saturday 19, a Christian married couple were shot at Palu, and wounded.

Police, government and media are reluctant to state that such attacks are carried out by Muslims. The nearest that they have come to saying this has been a suggestion that individuals or gangsters were trying to stir up sectarian violence between Christians and Muslims.

The bomb which has just taken place seems almost certainly to be either the actions of Islamists, or at least those who would stir up Christian/Muslim sectarian unrest. The police in this case conform to pattern; Brigadier General Oegroseno, Central Sulawesi's Police Chief, speaking at the scene of the blast, said: "This is a deliberate act to disrupt the New Year celebrations." He would not speculate on the identity of the perpetrators, while further investigations were underway.

The explosion happened even though security had been upgraded with massive deployment of police and others over the Christmas and New Year period. Banser, the youth branch of the Nahdlatul Ulama, a Muslim association, also promised to guard Christian churches over the Christmas period.

In the run-up to Christmas, the Jakarta Post reported that bomb sweeps were made in churches, and security guards dressed as Santa Claus had searched cars. at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Jakarta.

The Jakarta police chief, Maj. Gen. Firman Gani, said on Christmas Eve that Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists "could carry out" an attack on Christmas to retaliate for the death on November 9 of bomb-making expert Azahari bin Husin, who was gunned down in a police raid. Indonesia's intelligence chief Syamsir Siregar on Wednesday warned that Azahari's death could trigger revenge attacks and kidnappings for ransom.

In separate news, Azahari's colleague in Jemaah Islamiyah, financier and recruiter Noordin Mohamed Top, has been said to have been the instigator of a jewel heist which took place in Yogyakarta province earlier in the month, states Jakarta Post.

Bullet casings found at the gold shop robbery scene matched those from the shootout with Azahari bin Husin in Batu, Malang, on northern Java, claimed Makbul Padmanegara, the nations top detective. "Based on police investigations, there are indications that the gold store robbery in Yogyakarta was carried out by Noordin M. Top's group," he said.

The Jakarta Post state that documents found in Azahari's hideout on Java suggested that Jemaah Islamiyah was planning attacks over the holiday period.

UPDATE to story: AFP via Turkish Press state that many of the victims had severe leg injuries from flying shrapnel from the blast. Paulus Purwoko, the national police spokesman, said that three people had died at the scene and four in hospital. He said he did not think the bombers were from Noordin Top's group, "because they normally target foreigners."

The victim toll is 48. A second bomb was found nearby, which was defused. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Indonesian president, has ordered an immediate inquiry, to ascertain if the bombing is connected to previous attacks in the region.

On May 28 this year, twin bomb blasts tore through a busy market in the Christian-dominated town of Tentena in the province, killing 19 people and injuring at least 40.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at December 30, 2005 9:53 PM

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