near Tentena town at the mouth of Lake Poso Over the course of just eight years, the forests surrounding Indonesia’s Lake Poso, an ecological and evolutionary “gem” on the island of Sulawesi with 681 hectares (1,683 acres) of humid primary forest lost within the AZE site between 2002 and 2023 This represents 48% of total tree cover loss during the period Data from the national statistics agency show forest cover Poso district decreased from 514,651 hectares (1.27 million acres) in 2014 to 358,828 hectares (886,680 acres) in 2021 a loss equivalent to the size of London in just eight years head of the Central Sulawesi chapter of Walhi Indonesia’s leading environmental NGO identified three primary drivers of deforestation: nickel mining “The demand for natural resources in the form of nickel for the electric car battery industry and stainless steel for household appliances has created high market demand,” Katili told Mosintuwu media journalist Pian Siruyu in May 2024 Lake Poso supports approximately 60,000 people in surrounding districts and is located some 260 kilometers (162 miles) Central Sulawesi’s provincial capital “The indigenous people of Lake Poso refer to Lake Poso using the third person singular pronoun: he/she This shows the respect and perspective that the lake is life,” Lian Gogali a local organization that supports conflict survivors Traditional communities maintain rice fields plantations and water buffalo grazing grounds along the shoreline while local fishers preserve centuries-old fishing practices these traditional ways of life are facing challenges The region experienced 12 major floods in just the first five months of 2024 more than all the floods in the previous year From 1998 until 2000, Poso was the site of deadly sectarian violence between local Muslim and Christian communities. Hundreds of people were killed in the conflict and thousands more were forced to leave their homes, according to U.S.-based watchdog organization Human Rights Watch “At the time of the violent conflict communities in Poso district fled their lands and farms (some sold them) [and] when they returned they were powerless to fight for their lands together because they were segregated based on religious or tribal identity,” Gogali said Now, Lake Poso faces pressure from a controversial 515-megawatt hydropower project operated by PT Poso Energy. According to interviews for a 2020 Mongabay article many local officials welcomed the $700 million dam project in 2005 hoping it would bring vying religious communities together for progress on the island However, Freddy Kalengke, a local fisher quoted in The Jakarta Post,  said eel catches have drastically declined “We caught a lot of sugiri [the local word for the eels] with fish traps 30 even 40 kilograms [44-88 pounds] each night,” Kalengke said He added he “would count himself lucky these days if he could catch 5 kg [11 lbs] of eels in one night The decline began in 2019 when Poso Energy built the dam blocking the migratory patterns of the eels The company also dredged the bottom of the lake and river to increase water flow into the hydropower plant dam told The Jakarta Post the company had compensated villagers for harvest losses and livestock deaths during trial periods and that the river improvement process was 85% complete The company also told The Jakarta Post that it had installed fishways to help conserve the local eel population though local fishers report significant declines in their catches since the dam’s construction “As a source of renewable energy, the hydropower plant produces fewer carbon emissions than a fossil-fuel powered plant with the same capacity” and will help the government achieve its net-zero carbon emission goals, Suriani told The Jakarta Post Indonesia aims to reduce its emissions by 31.9% independently by 2030 with the energy sector expected to contribute a 15.5% reduction Poso Energy didn’t respond to Mongabay’s requests for comment on this story Women lead a protest against PT Poso Energy construction on Lake Poso in 2022 Lake Poso was formed around 2 million years ago by tectonic activity and has evolved into what scientists consider a “natural laboratory” for studying evolution Long-lived lakes are valuable research sites for scientists studying biodiversity range-restricted species make places like Lake Poso susceptible to environmental disruption “I think the big issue with Poso is the almost complete lack of information,” Doug Haffner an emeritus professor of limnology at the University of Windsor who calls the lake a global “gem” and has studied it for more than 25 years “No one has really worked on Lake Poso I think we are the only group with information on lake physics and that is a very limited data set for one of the most important lakes in Indonesia.” Lake Poso hosts several threatened species found nowhere else The lake’s exceptional biodiversity is particularly evident in its invertebrates with high endemism among mollusks and shrimps Notable among these unique species are the endangered Migmathelphusa olivacea crab and Sarasin’s goby (Mugilogobius sarasinorum) “There are not that many ancient systems around and we recognize them as real harbors of biodiversity,” Haffner said Unique and endemic species have evolved in Lake Poso The rapid forest loss around the lake threatens more than just the trees Forests help to protect Lake Poso’s delicate ecosystem by acting as a natural filter Their root systems prevent erosion and trap sediments that would otherwise flow into the lake while the forest floor purifies water as it moves through the soil Forest cover also helps maintain stable water temperatures through shade and regulates water flow into the lake — functions that become clear in their absence as evidenced by the region’s increasing flood frequency found that Lake Poso’s water chemistry has remained surprisingly stable despite development pressures scientists warn this resilience may not last The human cost of environmental degradation is evident in local testimonies. According to The Jakarta Post nearly 100 hectares (250 acres) of rice fields were affected by the flooding from the hydroelectric plant in 2023 “The most heart-broken were the women in the village,” Dewa “They were distraught about the future of the children When the rice fields turned yellow [from flooding] and we couldn’t harvest many started to cry as they saw their hopes drowned by the water.” community members and grassroots organizations are working to protect the lake Women have emerged as key environmental defenders through the Alliance of Lake Poso Guardians working to protect forests and maintain traditional farming practices — in the hopes of preserving both lake and livelihood This article was originally published on Mongabay under the Creative Commons BY NC ND licence. Read the original article Please fill out the form to download samples Horizontal conflict between Muslims and Christians in Poso Indonesia in past years  metamorphosed into a vertical conflict between extremist groups and the government This has left a lasting impact on civil society these conditions have not obstructed peacebuilding in the Poso regency Multicultural religious education is one approach to building peace in the regency Several NGOs have continuously collaborated with local governments and women’s communities to build a peaceful Poso NGOs involve religious teachers and students of various religions in inclusive education and mentoring to build a peaceful life in diversity Peace and interfaith programs have inspired many religious teachers to present an inclusive multicultural learning model in many schools in Poso and humanitarian solidarity programs responsive to peace practices in Poso’s post-conflict environment most schools in Poso have conducted religious education that is oriented towards strengthening religious and cultural values responsive to peacebuilding in schools Students bring a culture of peace into their families and communities where they live so that they become agents of peace in real-life dialogue between religious communities Students are taught about the teachings of their religions which include non-violence and respect for the teachings of other religions on the principle of human equality as God’s creatures and citizens of the nation and peaceful dialogue in schools and the Poso community Religious education is no longer exclusive but has become an inclusive means responsive to peace Every student from various religious backgrounds is given the same opportunity to believe and worship at school and solidarity activities in the name of humanity Religious education is used as an approach to eliminate negative stigma and promote non-violent attitudes towards people of other religions Multicultural religious education learning strategies implemented to support the development of religious peace in schools after the conflict include: A principal in Poso has implemented a multicultural religious education policy that considers the Poso community’s social context which has experienced religious conflict in the past This policy plays a role in building awareness of the importance of living peacefully in diversity especially between Muslim and Christian students as objects affected by the conflict The main principle of this policy is equality in faith regardless of religious and ethnic differences goodbye uniformity,” reflects this policy Improving the multicultural competence of religious teachers Schools in Poso continue to improve teachers’ multicultural competence through interfaith trainings that promote harmony between Christians and Muslims Teachers from various religions are given equal opportunities to understand other religions by visiting places of worship and participating in interfaith activities Teachers can teach moderate and inclusive religious values that strengthen tolerance and collaboration across religions in schools and the Poso community Formulation of inclusive multicultural learning objectives Religious education objectives are formulated to foster multicultural understanding and awareness Religious learning is directed to avoid using terms or themes that can trigger differences Religious teachers encourage mutual respect and maintain harmony through real-life dialogue in universal social and humanitarian activities Integration of multicultural values ​​into the curriculum All schools in Poso integrate multicultural values ​​such as mutual forgiveness and cooperation in religious education materials Learning is designed so that students understand the similarities and differences This step creates a peaceful learning atmosphere and prevents students from intolerance that leads to violent conflict Religious teachers link multicultural materials with the realities of the Poso area which has been in conflict and building peace and videos reflecting religious diversity to encourage tolerance and non-violent attitudes in schools and communities Students are involved in peace promotion activities at other schools Students are directed to maintain each other’s security during religious rituals active in humanitarian activities such as raising funds and clothing for people of different religions affected by natural disasters Evaluation of multicultural learning outcomes Learning evaluation involves an integrative assessment between cognitive aspects and socio-humanitarian practices focusing on student involvement in interreligious and intercultural activities Teachers assess students’ cognitive understanding through exam questions on religious teachers assess students’ active roles in universal socio-religious and humanitarian activities that support peace in schools and the Poso community today and website in this browser for the next time I comment Peace News Network aims to present stories from conflict zones we often don’t hear Our stories are about people taking risks for peace We highlight the opinions of ordinary people who want non-violent solutions to their political differences Our stories aren't always about shootings and explosions but they do tell you stories from war zones that hopefully go some way towards building trust and reconciliation a challenge has emerged: as seasoned vaccinators approach retirement lacking the formal induction into their roles a collaborative endeavour was set in motion by the district health office in Poso in conjunction with the provincial health office of Central Sulawesi the health training centre of Central Sulawesi they embarked on a joint initiative aimed to provide essential immunisation training to healthcare professionals in the region.  The focus of this initiative was a comprehensive four-day immunisation training programme that brought together 24 participants representing all primary healthcare centres throughout the district an immunisation officer from the district health office in Poso observed that over 70% of the participants were health care workers who had not previously undergone formal training Among them were both new employees and Civil Servant Candidates (CPNS) embarking on their careers in health care The training adhered to the new curricula set forth by the Ministry of Health These included informative presentations on vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) the intricacies of cold-chain and logistics management Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) as well as the requisite recording and reporting procedures and monitoring and evaluation practices a practical field visit to two primary health care centres was integrated into the programme providing participants with valuable first-hand insights into immunisation implementation This immersive experience empowered them to discern opportunities for augmenting and sustaining immunization coverage while also devising solutions to any obstacles in the process a dedicated village midwife from Gebungrejo in Poso District shared her excitement about being selected for the immunisation training in June 2023 her duties primarily centred around maternal and child health a mandate that inherently included the administration of routine immunisation programmes the absence of formal immunisation training had thus far precluded her from directly administering vaccinations at the integrated health service posts the training opportunity offered by the DHO of Poso represented a chance to enhance her skills and to contribute more effectively to the successful implementation of routine immunisation programmes in her area Pratiwi Ayu Wulandari is presenting the result of the group work on microplanning WHO/Rudi Gunawan “The wealth of knowledge acquired during this training will undoubtedly of great benefit for my impending role as a routine immunization vaccinator The microplanning topic was especially insightful; as it enabled me to calculate target While my previous role involved administering COVID-19 vaccines my responsibilities will shift to that of a routine immunization vaccinator at across three integrated health centres (Posyandu) within my community.”  By recognising the need for trained vaccinators and taking proactive steps to provide necessary training the DHO of Poso has effectively championed the agenda of human resources transformation This initiative aligns with one of the six pillars of the nationwide health transformation agenda and enhance the calibre of the healthcare workforce thereby safeguarding the health and well-being of the community in Poso This activity is supported by the Australian Government Written by Bryan Christian Jenazah dua orang penyerang polisi di Poso dimakamkan setelah dijemput pihak keluarga di RS Bhayangkara Palu Sejumlah warga mengantar pemakaman dua orang anggota Mujahidin Indonesia Timur (MIT) yang masuk daftar pencarian orang (DPO) aparat Ali alias Darwin Gobel dan Muis Fahron alias Abdullah dimakamkan di Pekuburan Baru pada Jumat (17/4/2020) sekitar pukul 11.30 Wita tampak banyak warga yang mengantar jenazah ke pemakaman Jenazah dijemput oleh pihak keluarga di RS Bhayangkara Palu Kedatangan kami membawa dua jenazah yang ditembak hingga meninggal oleh aparat kepolisian disambut baik oleh masyarakat Poso," kata Farid Tinombo salah satu kerabat dekat dari dua almarhum warga juga ada yang berdiri di kiri dan kanan jalan Saat jenazah disalatkan juga tampak masjid terisi penuh Terlihat ada orang yang membawa bendera hitam bertuliskan kalimat tauhid Farid mengatakan kedatangan kedua jenazah juga disambut dengan teriakan takbir saat pengantar masuk di daerah Poso "Ini adalah bukti begitu cintanya warga Poso kepada dua jenazah yang mana warga Poso sendiri ketahui bahwa mereka bukan teroris dua jenazah pelaku penembakan polisi di halaman Bank Mandiri Syariah Poso dijemput keluarga masing-masing di RS Bhayangkara Palu Jenazah lalu dibawa untuk dimakamkan di Kelurahan Kayamanya Kabid Humas Polda Sulteng Kombes Didik Supranoto mengatakan jenazah Ali alias Darwin Gobel dan Muis Fahron alias Abdullah dijemput oleh keluarganya pada Jumat (17/4/2020) pagi tadi "Keluarga dari masing-masing jenazah sudah tiba tim medis kami juga mengambil sampel DNA keluarga korban untuk dicocokkan dengan jenazah," kata Didik saat dihubungi 2 Jenazah Penembak Polisi Dimakamkan di Poso: Polisi menyatakan kelompok militan bersenjata Mujahidin Indonesia Timur (MIT) di Sulawesi Tengah telah habis menyusul tewasnya buronan terakhir yang selama ini bersembunyi di pegunungan tewas dalam baku tembak dengan anggota Detasemen Khusus Antiteror (Densus) 88 dalam patroli sebagai bagian dari Operasi Madago Raya di Kecamatan Poso Pesisir Utara “Dengan tewasnya Jaid menandakan DPO (daftar pencarian orang) MIT telah habis,” kata Kapolda Sulawesi Tengah Irjen “Semoga ini sudah akhir dari perburuan DPO itu Dan tentu ini menjadi keberhasilan semua pihak,” ujarnya Kombes Didik Supranoto mengatakan bahwa Jaid adalah pengikut senior MIT yang bergabung sejak awal kelompok itu dibentuk dan terlibat serangkaian aksi teror Didik mengatakan bahwa Densus 88 menemukan satu pucuk senjata revolver organik besertas amunisi dan tiga buah bom lontong aktif di tas ransel Jaid makanya kemana-mana dia pasti membawa bom rakitan,” kata Didik Rudy mengatakan sudah lama menjajaki pergerakan Jaid di hutan pegunungan Poso setelah rekan MIT lainnya yang bernama Nae alias Galuh dinyatakan tewas akibat luka tembak Pengamat dari Pusat Kajian Radikalisme dan Deradikalisasi (PAKAR) mengatakan kematian Nae belum terkonfirmasi “Sampai sekarang kan jenazah Nae itu tidak ditemukan oleh satgas Operasi Madago Raya di Poso sehingga berakhir sudah perburuan DPO MIT di Sulawesi Tengah,” kata Adhe kepada BenarNews PAKAR mengatakan simpatisan MIT masih memiliki dukungan Bima di Nusa Tenggara Barat dan Makassar di Sulawesi Selatan itu menjadi pekerjaan rumah aparat keamanan kita sehingga simpatisan di tiga wilayah itu tidak memberikan kontribusi baru,” ungkap Adhe Analis Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) belum bisa dipastikan ancaman terorisme sudah berakhir di Poso jaringan simpatisan dan ideologi masih ada “Tapi memang selama beberapa tahun belakangan aparat keamanan berhasil mencegah orang-orang dari jaringan tersebut untuk ke Poso bergabung dengan MIT,” ujar Deka kepada BenarNews IPAC melihat Poso akan tetap menjadi magnet untuk para militan terutama yang memiliki hubungan relasi dengan pelaku konflik sektarian di masa lalu “Pencegahan penting dilakukan aparat keamanan termasuk memantau jaringan MIT yang ada di luar Poso seperti di Bima dan provinsi lainnya,” kata Deka aparat keamanan khususnya Polri harus fokus terhadap pendanaan terrorisme dan mencegah penggalangan dana oleh kelompok militan Dan tujuan pendanaan terorisme bukan hanya untuk aksi terorisme tetapi untuk menjaga anggota jaringan tetap loyal berakar pada konflik berdarah antara komunitas Muslim-Kristen di Poso yang menewaskan lebih dari 1.000 orang antara tahun 1998 dan 2001 Kelompok ini dikenal karena aksi pembunuhan yang kejam terhadap warga terutama yang mereka anggap sebagai informan aparat keamanan pemerintah membentuk pasukan gabungan TNI-polisi dibawah komando Camar Maleo untuk menumpas MIT yang saat berada dibawah pimpinan Santoso atau Abu Wardah  memiliki anggota hingga 40-an orang termasuk warga Uighur dari China operasi tersebut diperpanjang dengan nama Operasi Tinombala dan pada Juli 2016 berhasil membunuh Santoso pimpinan militan pertama yang berbaiat kepada kelompok ekstrim ISIS disamping Jamaah Ansharut Daulah - yang berada dibalik sejumlah serangan teror di Indonesia sejak 2016 merupakan dua kelompok militan di Indonesia yang terafiliasi ISIS Walaupun Santoso telah tewas dan anggota MIT terus berkurang hingga di bawah 10 orang kelompok tersebut masih tetap berhasil melakukan anggota MIT membakar sejumlah rumah dan membunuh empat warga di Kabupaten Sigi yang berbatasan dengan Poso Operasi pengejaran terhadap MIT terus berlangsung yang pada awal 2021 berganti dengan nama Madago Raya yang dalam bahasa Poso berarti “baik hati dan dekat dengan masyarkat.” Kapolda Rudy mengatakan operasi keamanan di Poso kemungkinan masih akan dilanjutkan namun pihaknya akan berkoordinasi dulu dengan Mabes Polri Karena masih banyak simpatisan yang akan kita bina dengan baik,” ujarnya Pengamat terorisme dari Universitas Islam Negeri Datokarama Palu mengatakan bahwa petugas keamanan masih punya pekerjaan untuk memastikan warga yang masih menjadi simpatisan atau terpapar paham radikalisme tidak menjadi ancaman “Mungkin digelar operasi lanjutan namun orientasinya atau programnya diarahkan pendampingan dan pemberdayaan agar tidak ada sel terorisme baru tumbuh di Poso,” ujarnya Adhe dari PAKAR mengatakan pemerintah harus serius memberikan perhatian kepada korban MIT “Karena di Poso masih banyak juga korban MIT yang tidak mendapatkan bantuan Padahal mereka wajib mendapatkan kompensasi sebagaimana tertuang dalam undang-undang,” katanya Silakan memberikan komentar Anda dalam bentuk teks Komentar akan mendapat persetujuan Moderator dan mungkin akan diedit disesuaikan dengan Ketentuan Penggunaan Komentar tidak akan terlihat langsung pada waktu yang sama BeritaBenar tidak bertanggung jawab terhadap isi komentar Anda Dalam menulis komentar harap menghargai pandangan orang lain dan berdasarkan pada fakta Ruzzel Del Poso lit up from beyond the arc as Mapua University pulled off an upset overtime victory against Colegio de San Juan de Letran in the NCAA Season 100 juniors basketball tournament on Wednesday.  and two assists while Sean Salvador strung together a double-double effort of 15 markers and 10 boards alongside four assists as the Red Robins improved to 1-1.  Mapua crawled back from a 45-30 halftime deficit and made it a one-point affair at 47-48 before Daniel Padilla took over for the Squires and led a 10-2 run to close the third period as Letran regained a 58-49 cushion.  Syrex Silorio hit a triple that gave Letran 68-65 lead in the final moments but Mapua refused to give up as Del Poso answered with a long bomb of his own to drag the defending champions into overtime.  It was all Mapua in the extra period with Salvador and Yuri Duque starting the offense for a 73-68 lead hitting two free throws each to wield the upset ax against the three-peat seeking Squires.  Jose RIzal University overcame some late game lapses to eke out a narrow 67-64 win against Lyceum of the Philippines University and enter the win column of the tournament The Light Bombers banked on the troika of James Almario and AJ Lacusong to turn back the Junior Pirates and bounce back from an opening day loss to Arellano University last Monday. Almario poured in 16 points while both Marin and Lacusong chipped in 12 markers with the latter also grabbing eight rebounds and two steals.  Lacusong caught an and-one play but missed out on the free throw before Almario split his charities But LPU trimmed it to a solitary deficit after big man Steven Creus completed a layup and sank one freebie for a 63-62 affair in the final 1:46.  Almario was then called for a traveling violation while Lacusong muffed an open layup that gave LPU an opportunity to tie or get the lead back LPU also missed out as Lacusong knocked down four straight free throws to seal the victory even if Cleafford Dag-um hit a three-pointer at the buzzer.  {{gallery.imageDetails.images.0.description}} he hope for a peaceful Poso after the arrest of East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) leader Basir alias Bagong still seems far away as senior figures of the terrorist group continue to roam through the forests across the Central Sulawesi regency After the death of Santoso alias Abu Wardah in an ambush in Poso on July 18 Basri took over the MIT’s leadership Leading 15 MIT members who still defended the group Basri kept moving from one hideout to another across Poso's forests witnessing his followers killed or arrested one at a time finally surrendered to Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel who were part of the Operation Tinombala task force during a raid at about 9:30 a.m Andika Putra alias Andika alias Hilal and Sobron were about to cross the Puna River in Tangkura village they were caught by surprise by the Tinombala force Andika was killed during the arrest while Sobron managed to escape Hari Suprapto said Basri was its second target after Santoso because of the dangerous activities he has been conducting for a long time Hari said he believed Basri’s arrest had further weakened his terrorist group’s power and that the potential for terrorist threats in Poso would also continuously decrease and the situation would become more conducive to peace and security He said there were very few possibilities for the terrorist network to expand its activities there has been no indication of the presence of either new MIT members or weaponry systems seen since the launch of a counterterrorism operation codenamed Operation Camar Maleo in 2015 which ended in January this year and was continued by Operation Tinombala it was likely that another MIT senior figure Given the name Mohammad Basri Mohammad Basri bin Baco Sampe at birth the terrorist leader is known to have a long crime record Basri was apparently involved in a string of crimes including a shooting at the North Poso Pesisir Police office on June 10 bomb attacks at the community police post in Pantango Lemba village in Poso Pesisir on Feb Basri was also reportedly involved in an attack on the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) police in Tangkura on Nov and the kidnapping of two local residents in Sedoa on Dec was also involved in the kidnapping of three residents of Tamadue village in East Lore district He was allegedly involved in killing a resident of Taunca and the beheading of three Taunca residents on Jan He was reportedly responsible for a shooting that killed First Insp.Bryan on Aug “This long criminal record does not include crimes Basri committed before he was arrested in February 2007 over terrorist attacks and imprisoned at Ampana Prison in Tojo Una-una,” said Hari For 132 Military Region Command (Korem)/Tadulako commander Col.M.Saleh Mustafa terrorist attacks in Poso after the arrest of Basri remain a possibility especially because Ali Kalora and Furdaus alias Daus alias Barok alias Rangga are still waging guerilla warfare terrorism in Poso is still far from being at an end,” said Saleh who is also the Operation Tinombala deputy chief Quickly share this news with your network—keep everyone informed with just a single click Customize your reading experience by adjusting the text size to small or large—find what’s most comfortable for you The National Police claimed on Saturday they had wiped out the notorious East Indonesia Mujahedin which has terrorized civilians in the Central Sulawesi district of Poso and caused headaches for Indonesian security agencies for decades the central government has deployed joint military and police operations to decimate the militant group and managed to kill or capture its leaders including Ali Kalora who became a target of a manhunt for years Ali was killed by security personnel last September ending his reign of terror which saw many villagers kidnapped and brutally murdered after being targeted for allegedly becoming police collaborators His death was a turning point for the joint counter-terror unit Madago Raya Task Force to further paralyze the militant group Despite no major attacks in Poso throughout the year the task force continued to hunt the remaining combatants of the group -- known by its Indonesian acronym MIT -- and managed to capture three more "We can declare now that the MIT group has been eliminated," National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo said during the year-end press conference at his office in Jakarta Police and the military have launched an enormous manhunt for MIT figures since a decade ago Ali wasn’t a high-profile target until July 2016 when group leader Santoso was killed by security personnel and his immediate successor Basri bin Baco Sampe was captured alive a few months later Ali rose to leadership with a smaller number of fighters yet as deadly and terrifying as the group under Santoso’s command he had kept defying security officials by hiding in the jungles and taking advantage of his Sulawesi nativity to blend with local communities when he came to villages Ali’s MIT is responsible for the killing of at least 20 civilians the joint operation managed to kill Ahmad Panjang aka Basir Basir is one of only four remaining MIT combatants sought by the police MIT members have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).  The group holed up in a mountainous area on the northern coast of Poso depending on local farmers for food and other basic supplies.  It doesn’t necessarily mean that those farmers are supportive -- the group often killed villagers who resisted their presence The police chief said counter-terrorism measures didn’t involve only armed operations but also deradicalization programs for thousands of convicted terrorists “We have released 3,226 (ex-terror convicts) in 10 provinces who have pledged allegiance to the unitary state of Indonesia," Listyo said Dua anggota kelompok Mujahidin Indonesia Timur (MIT) menyerahkan diri kepada Tim Detasemen Khusus (Densus) 88 di Kabupaten Poso Keduanya merupakan jaringan sel baru dari kelompok yang saat ini dipimpin oleh Ali Kalora saat ini kami sedang melakukan pemeriksaan Nanti kami gelar konferensi pers agar informasinya tidak simpang siur," kata Kapolda Sulawesi Tengah Irjen Syafril Nursal kepada detikcom Kapolda Sulteng saat ini masih berada di daerah Poso dalam rangka percepatan untuk mengamankan kelompok MIT oleh Tim Satgas Tinombala "Saya masih di Poso, untuk mengecek pasukan Tim Satgas Tinombala. Besok ke Palu dan kami gelar rilis di Polda Sulteng," ucap Irjen Syafril Nursal sedangkan satunya lagi tidak terdaftar dalam DPO Keduanya menyerahkan diri pada 17 Maret 2020 [Gambas:Video 20detik] Sejumlah orang yang tergabung dalam aksi bela tauhid menurunkan bendera merah putih di DPRD Kabupaten Poso hingga kemudian menggantinya dengan bendera hitam bertuliskan kalimat tauhid Polisi menyebut bendera yang dikibarkan ialah bendera Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) Polisi juga menyebut pihak pengibar bendera tersebut ialah pendukung FPI "Masa demo pendukung FPI tapi bendera yang mereka bawa ya bendera HTI," kata Karo Penmas Divisi Humas Polri Brigjen Didi Prasetyo lewat pesan singkat Peristiwa pengibaran bendera ini terjadi pada Jumat (26/10) kemarin siang Saat ditegaskan pertanyaan soal pihak yang mengibarkan bendera hitam "Massa FPI yang mendukung HTI dengan bawa bendera," ujar dia Kemendagri menyatakan ada larangan mengibarkan bendera dari sebuah organisasi terlarang Larangan ini tidak hanya berlaku di kantor instansi pemerintah "Jadi bendera-bendera yang tak boleh di instansi negara itu Itu tugas polisi untuk menegakkan," ujar Dirjen Otonomi Daerah (Otda) Sumarsono saat dihubungi Pernyataan lebih tegas disampaikan Kabareskrim Polri Komjen Arief Sulistyanto yang menilai menurunkan merah putih kemudian menggantinya dengan bendera hitam tersebut merupakan penghinaan terhadap simbol negara Perbuatan ini juga menodai perjuangan para pahlawan yang memerdekakan Indonesia Arief mengatakan perbuatan tersebut dapat dikenakan pasal 24 juncto pasal 65 juncto pasal 66 UU No "Identifikasi orang-orang yang menaikkan bendera dan penanggung jawab kegiatan 24 Tahun 2009 pasal 24 juncto pasal 65 juncto pasal 66," tegas Arief seperti dikutip dari lewat keterangan tertulis yang diterima detikcom Arief kemudian meminta jajaran Polda Sulawesi Tengah menyelidiki peristiwa pengibaran bendera hitam bertuliskan kalimat tauhid di halaman DPRD Kabupaten Poso "Agar dibuatkan LP (laporan polisi) model A Ini harus dilakukan agar tidak ditiru," kata Arief hree firemen were reportedly killed and two others were severely injured when the fire truck they were riding flipped over on Tuesday in Poso The accident occurred as the fire truck was heading to a fire in Madale subdistrict The three firemen who were killed are Bahram Khan Samsuddin The firemen who were injured are Amir Alamri “The bodies of the dead victims have been taken to their homes while the injured victims are being treated at Poso Regional General Hospital,” Poso Police chief Adj Bogiek Sugiyarto told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday He said the accident took place around 9 a.m when the fire truck was on its way to a scene of fire in the northern part of the city On taking a curve in the road at a high speed the fire truck encountered a motorcycle coming from the opposite direction “The fire truck swerved to avoid the motorcycle and the maneuver caused it to flip over,” Bogiek said Poso Regent Darmin Sigilipu visited the homes of the dead firemen to pay his respects because they died in the line of duty,” he said Darmin said the Poso administration would compensate the families of the dead victims and pay for the medical treatment of the injured firemen are gathering data on the impact of a 6.6 Ritcher scale earthquake that hit the regency late on Monday evening According to the Poso Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) residents in several areas across the regency were injured by rubble of buildings that collapsed during the earthquake “Three residents from Sedoa and Alitupu villages were injured by rubble from buildings,” BPBD Poso head Masdian Mentiri He further said that another resident from Tokorondo village in Poso Pesisir had been injured by falling rubble and was taken to a nearby community health center “For the exact number of injured victims we are waiting for the results of data collection on the ground,” said Masdian Several houses belonging to Sedoa villagers were severely damaged in the earthquake along with Indonesian Military and National Police personnel are working to allay the fears of local people some of whom are reportedly panicking over fears the earthquake could cause a tsunami “According to a report from the BMKG [Meteorology the earthquake won’t trigger a tsunami because the epicenter of the earthquake is on the land The BMKG data also showed people in several areas had felt the shock of the earthquake and Tana Toraja – all are in Central Sulawesi Abu Wardah will be buried in a moslem cemetery in Lanto Jaya village His body was brought by an ambulance from Bhayangkara hospital in Palu on Saturday (23/7) Santoso’s body was given to representatives of his family The ambulance car was guarded by Densus 88 Team by using a Toyota car to Poso disrict "It is estimated that Santoso's body will arrive in Poso this afternoon," said Basir a Poso resident who wants to visit the burial place in Lanto Jaya on Saturday the body of Mukhtar will be picked up by his family at 09:30 pm Mukhtar’s body will be buried also this Saturday in Tawaili Santoso and Mukhtar were killed in the crossfire between the Task Force Operation Tinombala and an armed group on Monday including Basri a.k.a Bagong and Ali Kalora and three women Prabowo Subianto Plans to Establish 100 People's Schools Soon Prabowo Plans to Build Emergency Bulog Warehouses in Aceh, West Nusa Tenggara Prabowo's Reason for Involving the Military in Food Matters Prabowo Open to Meeting Retired Military Forum Urging Gibran's Impeachment Free Meal Poisoning Case, Prabowo Alludes to Students Eating Without Spoons Learn About the Outsourcing Practices Prabowo Intends to Scrap Prabowo: Bill Gates to Support Free Nutritious Meal Program in Indonesia Prabowo Rejects 'Puppet President' Label, Denies Jokowi's Control Manpower Minister Unveils Reasons Behind Over 24,000 Layoffs by April 2025 Prabowo Claims 99.99% Success Rate for Free Nutritious Meal Program Trump Says Violence Against Tesla Is Domestic Terrorism Fire Suspected at Komdigi's Online Gambling Content Filtering Machine Room Indonesia Not Prioritizing Repatriation of Reynhard Sinaga and Hambali FBI Says 'No Definitive Link' Between New Orleans Attack BNPT Anticipates Terrorist Threats During Christmas and New Year 2025 Today's Top 3 News: Top 10 Countries with Lowest Fertility Rates: Singapore Ranks Third Densus 88 Arrests Fugitive Terror Suspect After 11 Years on the Run in Central Sulawesi Indonesia Urged to Beware of Terrorist Acts Immigration Justifies Officers' Firearm Use Amid Rising Risks Densus 88 Arrest Alleged AQAP Terrorist in Gorontalo Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock Reunite After 30 Years for New Film Project Prabowo Praises Jokowi's Inflation Control in Cabinet Session, Denies Link to Gibran's Presence BGN Chief Aims for Zero Accidents in Free Nutritious Meal Program Inside Sistine Chapel: 5 Key Facts About the Conclave's Iconic Venue Exposing Trump's Move on Mike Waltz Dismissal Jokowi Responds to Calls for VP Gibran's Impeachment Today's Top 3 News: 7 Most Beautiful Banknotes in the World, Penetration of Visa, Mastercard vs QRIS in Indonesia Expert Raises Alarm on Crypto Scams, Biometric Leaks After Worldcoin Freeze List of Baeksang Arts Awards 2025 Winners BMKG Reports M5.4 Earthquake Striking Tomini Bay; No Tsunami Threats Jennie, Lisa, and Rose BLACKPINK Gather at the Met Gala 2025 Israel Approves Plan to Expand Gaza Onslaught, Occupy Territories Indonesia's Mount Semeru Erupts 3 Times This Morning, Sends Ash 700 Meters High WHO: Hand Hygiene is Essential, Medical Gloves Are Not a Substitute on Wednesday (19/10) as part of its strategy to expand market coverage in the eastern parts of Indonesia The outlet — located at the Poso City Mall — is the first Hypermart store in Poso the main port and transportation hub in Central Sulawesi's north-eastern coast and the tenth stores overall in the island of Sulawesi The Poso Hypermart follows the design of the new G7 format more spacious and modern compared to the old format "We'll keep expanding our G7 Hypermart's coverage We're on schedule to open another new G7 store in Baturaja Matahari Putra Prima's director of public relations and communications Matahari Putra Prima currently operates 297 stores in 68 cities all across Indonesia UIN NEWS Online - Social Trust Fund (STF) UIN Jakarta social humanitarian institution again distributed peace scholarship assistance to 10 students in Poso District Assistance is given to strengthen the roots of social peace that have been built after communal conflicts struck the region some time ago The scholarship itself is given directly by the Director of STF UIN Jakarta five students each from Muslim and Christian communities Scholarships are given in the form of monthly tuition fees all scholarship recipients were taken care of by a group of Poso women school mothers to UIN News Online on Monday (09/24/2018) she said that peace scholarships were given in accordance with the vision of STF UIN Jakarta to place philanthropy as the key to creating social justice and peace are the prerequisites for the creation of progress and prosperity as a solution to suppress social divisions and conflicts efforts to strengthen the brotherhood of the people strengthen the peace and appreciate the diversity one of which is through scholarships," she explained social activists and the community interaction and strengthen togetherness even though they have diverse backgrounds the peace scholarship is a manifestation of Islam which rahmatan lil-‘alamin the selection of Poso itself was based on the community's needs in the region to maintain the roots of peace after many years of involvement in communal conflicts communal conflicts between Muslim and Christian communities broke out in the region Through the Malino Declaration; which was initiated by HM Jusuf Kalla (now the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia) the two conflicting parties agreed to end the conflict while building harmony STF as a humanitarian social institution UIN Jakarta plays an active role in maintaining harmony through peace scholarships "This area has indeed experienced social conflict but actually has strong potential for peace We believe that the brotherhood relationship through the STF scholarship will strengthen national brotherhood and inspire peace not only for Indonesia but for the world," she explained 2023 © Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Jakarta Indonesian police and military forces in a joint operation have found the headquarters of the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) in a mountainous part Central Sulawesi's Poso district working together under operation Cameo Maleo 3 found shacks and equipment allegedly used by the terror group led by Santoso Badrodin Haiti said at the office of the Coordinating Ministry for Political five ready-to-use bombs and cooking utensils were found at the site besides the decomposing remains of an unknown man with the help of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN) which has pledged loyalty to the Islamic State movement Security forces have for years been unable to find the 40 or so members of the terror group "They know the field very well because it's their own territory but we will keep hunting party," said Badrodin Police officials recently announced a string of arrests of people planning a bombing campaign over the coming holiday season Central Sulawesi police and the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) have formed a team to investigate the deaths of three civilians who were allegedly shot by Indonesian government forces during a counter-terrorist manhunt The three young people were shot and killed in two separate incidents in April and June in Poso regency allegedly by police and military personnel taking part in Operation Tinombala a joint task force established in 2016 to hunt down capture or kill members of the Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen (MIT) The Central Sulawesi police will lead the investigation team “Investigators have gone to Poso and we are waiting for the results of their investigation,” he said was killed after allegedly being tortured by Tinombala task force members after meeting with his relatives in Poso on April 9 joined by Central Sulawesi and Poso police were patrolling a local forest when the shootings occurred Officials said 41 Tinombala members had been questioned about the shootings Provincial police spokesman Didik Supranoto said there were no suspects but 29 had been questioned regarding Qidam’s death while the others had been questioned in the cases of Firman and Syarifudding “At the moment they are being questioned and their status is still as witnesses,” Didik told reporters the chairman of Komnas HAM in Central Sulawesi said his organization was collecting evidence from the victims’ families these three cases involve gross human rights violations,” he said adding that those responsible must face justice because their carelessness led to the deaths of innocent civilians If they were suspected of being followers of MIT Obviously this is a gross human rights violation,” he said Central Sulawesi lawmaker Wiwik Jumatul Rofiah “We don’t want to have the impression that you tried to protect the perpetrators even though the culprits could be authorities The investigation must be conducted openly,” she told reporters in Palu on Thursday She also urged the government to terminate Operation Tinombala “It is strange that it takes years and hundreds of personnel just to catch the Eastern Indonesia Mujahidin which has fewer than 20 members,” she said the government announced that Rajif Gandi Sabban (alias Rajes) was killed in a shootout with security forces in a Poso jungle Add your comment by filling out the form below in plain text Comments are approved by a moderator and can be edited in accordance with RFAs Terms of Use RFA is not responsible for the content of the postings be respectful of others' point of view and stick to the facts Jakarta - The Anti-terror Squad Detachment 88 (Densus 88) arrested Agus Martin a.k.a in his parents-in-law's house in Tenggulun Village He had been wanted by the police for his involvement in terrorists' network in Poso Head of Unit of Detective and Criminality Lamongan Resort's Police said the arrest of Hasan Ansori was the result of the confession of Ramli a.k.a Iqbal Husaini or Adrian Alansyah or frequently called Rambo or Rian "That is as far as I know," Hasran said to Tempo Detachment 88 team from Jakarta and Surabaya had first rendezvoused around the North Coast Sub-district of Paciran and Solokuro on Saturday evening a vehicle with five people on board got in to this suspected terrorist parents-in-law's house was detained just when he went outside and was about to begin working Hasan would be brought directly to Jakarta "The case is still being developed," Hasran said Hasan would be investigated of his possibility of involvement in the buying of four firearms of 9 mm caliber from Ramli Indonesia – In the aftermath of a violent communal conflict that set neighbor against neighbor around this ancient lake in the mountains of eastern Indonesia local leaders were eager for projects that promised a brighter future local officials welcomed a $700 million hydroelectric dam project They hoped it would bring vying religious communities together for a 21st-century push for green progress on the island of Sulawesi Residents agreed to give up land for the proposed three-level But instead of healing the wounds from waves of interreligious violence that had left hundreds dead and thousands displaced some area residents now say the project is bringing new threats to their communities and livelihoods after more than a decade of planning and construction the hydropower company told Poso’s 200,000 people that the project required more than just land The company also needed to terraform the lake’s mouth “It is as if they were hiding this,” says Christian Bontinge the village that sits on the lake’s sole river outlet Villagers around the lake say the dam will endanger centuries-old livelihoods built on the ancient Opponents now face the burden of proving the dam will cause ecological harm a race against time to collect and present evidence before the earthworks are completed scraping tons of soil from the riverbed and dumping it in a marshy area downstream to strengthen the current where the river will flow over the turbines the dredging threatens sustainable fishing practices disrupting the livelihoods of thousands and an economy that supports far more Conservationists also fear re-engineering the lake will disrupt an ecosystem with uncounted endemic species one so ancient it can be used to study evolution “Is it not cruel that we have to protect our own culture on our own land?” asks Protestant pastor Yombu Wuri who joined a group of activists after he saw other churches pressure pastors to avoid protest Bontinge and other opponents of the project call the group the Alliance of Lake Poso Guardians they lodged a police complaint alleging PT Poso Energy is damaging the environment in an area the local government promised to protect The alliance is a small group of outspoken farmers owned by the family of former vice president Jusuf Kalla with online campaigns and in meetings with local officials and police to explain the cultural significance of the lake after the company dismantled an almost century-old bridge five more groups joined from the provincial capital Because the company already has an environmental permit for the project local police have placed the burden of proof on the anti-dam alliance If the activists wish to pursue legal action the police say they will first need to furnish scientific evidence the company is damaging ecosystems The alliance has found an ally in a government authority the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) has begun to pursue other means of funding they may only find funding when the project is close to completion “People have called us anti-development and anti-modernization but why do you have to damage an ecosystem just to create electricity?” says Wilianita Selviana a former activist who has watched the dredging begin from her riverside house PT Poso Energy has said its plant’s electricity will fulfill local needs but power will also be channeled to nickel hotspots via the island’s grid PT Poso Energy will strengthen the current to the hydropower plant located where the lake narrows out into a river The roughly 2 million cubic meters (71 million cubic feet) of soil that will be dredged from the riverbed will be relocated to a bend in the river that locals call Kompo Dongi creating an artificial landmass that PT Poso Energy says will harbor a park for tourism and conservation Poso natives hold a communal fishing event called mosango When the dry season brings water levels down hundreds of people from villages around the lake gather in the waist-deep water then simultaneously place upside-down bamboo baskets in the water because it requires that we all work together and share the rewards,” says Hajay Ancura Dredging boats arrived last year and started pumping soil into the marsh This year is the first in hundreds that mosango will not be done two women were arrested after boarding a dredging boat with gasoline and threatening to set it alight As PT Poso Energy fills in the dirt to create the landmass it’s dredging soil from the area where two enduring eel fisheries feed the local economy catches eels at the river’s mouth using a method locals call monyilo When seasonal waters rise and the eels embark on a nighttime migration between the lake and sea he boards his small boat with a spotlight and 4-meter (13-foot) spear selling the eels to companies that export them as far as Japan It has given him enough money to put his four kids through school then build facilities that help us prosper How is it possible that business is prioritized?” from which fences stretch like wings across the river The technique relies on the seasonal water rise to funnel eels through the V-shaped fences to a raised cage that traps them alive The traditional barrier between the areas for the monyilo and wayamasapi fisheries was the wooden Pamona bridge the bridge was both a sign that native Indonesians could accomplish a technological marvel without the help of the Dutch colonial government and a popular photo backdrop PT Poso Energy dismantled the bridge because it was too low for the ships beginning to re-engineer the river “It’s as if our identity disappeared,” says Bontinge, who with Wuri led group prayer sessions next to the bridge as it was being dismantled PT Poso Energy maintains the bridge will be rebuilt but a spokesperson did not respond to questions “The tourists that have come here over the years don’t come to see new things they come to see the cultural gems that have endured generations,” Yusuf says Like many fishers afraid of publicly protesting the project even as he believes deepening the river will make his profession impossible Humans are a relatively recent addition to the lake environment The hydropower dam will make a reservoir from an ecosystem so old and so isolated that it’s like an experiment in evolution Lake Poso was formed roughly 2 million years ago when tectonic plate shifts left a cavern 500 m (1,640 ft) deep in the heart of Sulawesi the lake evolved dozens of unique species that are found nowhere else on the planet Researchers designate Lake Poso an ancient lake, meaning it has lived through at least one glacial cycle, roughly 130,000 years. Such lakes offer scientists a natural laboratory for biodiversity they are potentially more vulnerable to ecological changes The lake is a global “gem,” says Doug Haffner an emeritus professor of limnology who has been sampling Lake Poso for a quarter century Of the four eel species that migrate 50 km (30 mi) between ocean and lake knowledge about the species of Lake Poso is scarce also the founding director of the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research “I think the big issue with Poso is the almost complete lack of information,” he says and that is a very limited data set for one of the most important lakes in Indonesia “There are not that many ancient systems around and we recognize them as real harbors of biodiversity.” electricity demand will determine when the river flows rapidly or slowly and the lake level will rise or fall accordingly The lake’s waters don’t mix from top to bottom but adjusting the lake’s level may disturb the natural balance and spread eutrophication is also where many endemic fish find safe breeding grounds The eels that support wayamasapi and monyilo need to be able to migrate along the river a fisheries lecturer at Tadulako University in Palu traveling between the salt and fresh water but many researchers believe they’ll be trapped by the dams because nobody has assessed whether the fishways PT Poso Energy built are adequate,” he says by phone from Palu Gadis Sri Haryani, the head of limnology at LIPI, says she has seen company video of adolescent eels making the trek upstream, but no adults going downstream. Although many hydropower companies rely on them to obtain environmental permits, researchers say fishways are not a proven technology the environment needs to be protected so that the migrations aren’t disturbed because the eels are the local economy,” Gadis says Gadis organized a focus group discussion with PT Poso Energy It was the first time they had all sat in a room together promises of economic development have swirled for more than a decade Ceding even more ground feels like stepping backward so a modernistic vision can push forward without them “Our guests have a lot of desires,” says Wuri “Then they also ask for another space Are we supposed to exit our own house and build a whole other area behind our own land?” Speaking during a service at his local church in Tentena Wuri urged his congregants to consider the impact of the dam on future generations: “What will our grandchildren think of us Banner image: Yombu Wuri (in sunglasses) speaks with a resident of one of the communities along Lake Poso Follow Ian Morse on Twitter: @ianjmorse FEEDBACK: Use this form to send a message to the author of this post Teachers in the Central Sulawesi district of Poso have reportedly refused to attend school in fear of threats from the terror group led by Islamic State-linked fugitive Santoso which remains at large despite a months-long counter terror operation involving thousands of police and military personnel The data has yet to be available but there are indications of that," Anies said on Friday (03/06) Responding to impressions that his office has failed to monitor such conditions he said: "Teachers are not under the auspices of the Education Ministry but local administrations "We will directly go to the field to verify what has actually happened," Anies added a leader of the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) which has reportedly pledged allegiance to Islamic State and allegedly masterminded several terror attacks in  the country is believed to be running a paramilitary camp in the hilly jungle areas around Poso The group has reportedly dwindled to less than 25 after the sustained operation involving around 2,000 police and military personnel Kepolisian Daerah Sulawesi Tengah (Polda Sulteng) memastikan persenjataan milik kelompok Mujahidin Indonesia Timur (MIT) yang dipimpin Santoso alias Abu Wardah dipasok dari Filipina bahwa hal itu diketahui berdasarkan pengakuan seorang anak buah Santoso yang ditangkap tim Densus 88 anti-teror Mabes Polri di Manado bulan Mei tahun lalu dan dikonfirmasi kembali oleh seorang pengikut Santoso lainya yang ditangkap baru-baru ini dalam Operasi Tinombala "Semua informasi ini kami dapat dari pengakuan anak buah Santoso berinisial W alias I W hendak memasok lagi senjata dari Filipina untuk MIT di Poso," kata Rudy Dari pengakuan W diketahui bahwa ia ditugaskan Santoso mengambil senjata seharga Rp130 juta pada akhir 2014 yang dipesan dari kelompok Anshorut Khilafah di Filipina Selatan yang merupakan pemasok peralatan MIT Serah terima senjata itu dilakukan di tengah laut dekat Mindanao dan roket peluncur granat serta 16 amunisi pistol FN 45 "W diberikan senjata yang sudah dipesan Santoso Senjata laras panjang dimasukkan dalam karung Sedangkan amunisi dan bahan peledak diisi dalam ransel bercampur dengan pakaian,” jelas Rudy "Semua peralatan perang yang dibeli W sudah diserahkan ke Santoso Namun dalam penyergapan dan baku tembak beberapa kali di Poso Pesisir semua peralatan perang itu ditemukan dan kini diamankan untuk barang bukti," terang Rudy Santoso kembali memerintahkan W untuk mengambil persenjataan yang telah dipesannya Santoso mengirim uang pada Abu Syarifah (amir Anshorut Khilafah) sebanyak Rp220 juta Namun ketika W tiba di pelabuhan Manado saat hendak menyeberang ke Mindanao diketahui bahwa W pernah menjadi peserta pelatihan militer tahun 2013 angkatan Al Mudamir Grup yang diikuti sekitar 16 orang dan dilatih oleh M alias Black yang merupakan ahli bahan peledak dan merangkai bom "Sedangkan Santoso dalam pelatihan yang dipusatkan di Gunung Biru Kecamatan Pesisir Utara itu bertindak sebagai pemberi tausiyah dan bongkar pasang senjata," jelas Kabid Humas Polda Sulteng W juga terlibat serangkaian aksi MIT seperti perencanaan penembakan Iptu mendistribusikan amunisi ke kelompok militan bersenjata Bima "Yang paling mencolok dari W karena dia dipercaya Santoso sebagai bendahara MIT Saat ini W sedang menjalani penahanan setelah divonis 6,5 tahun kurungan penjara di Jakarta," tandas Hari Wakapolda Sulteng yang juga Komandan Operasi Tinombala 2016 Leo Bona Lubis merilis nama dan wajah terbaru anggota kelompok MIT yang dimasukkan dalam Daftar Pencarian Orang (DPO) diketahui kekuatan kelompok yang terus diburu TNI/Polri kini tinggal 29 orang terdapat tiga perempuan asal Bima dan dua etnis Uighur "Semua yang dirilis merupakan data terbaru Kami meminta dukungan masyarakat membantu menyebar foto-foto ke-29 DPO agar menjadi waspada dan memberikan informasi jika melihat atau menemukan mereka ke pihak kepolisian terdekat," tutur Leo tapi tak tertutup kemungkinan jumlah pengikut MIT akan bertambah karena pergerakan mereka tidak seluruhnya diketahui oleh aparat keamanan "Jumlah 29 orang ini diketahui nama dan wajahnya berdasarkan keterangan anggota MIT yang ditangkap hidup selama Operasi Tinombala berlangsung," jelas Leo Sejak Operasi Tinombala 2016 digelar awal tahun ini sebanyak 10 anggota MIT telah tewas dan beberapa lagi ditangkap Aparat keamanan juga menyita sejumlah senjata anak buah Santoso seorang anggota Brimob tewas dalam kontak senjata Thousands of small-time gold miners from the Poso district rally at the government office in Palu The miners demanded protected forest areas in the Lore Lindu National Park be opened up to mining Suspected pro-Islamic State Indonesian militants killed four farmers in Central Sulawesi province on Tuesday in the first presumed attack by members of the Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen (MIT) group targeting civilians in more than five months The body of one of the victims of Tuesday’s attack in Kalemago a spokesman for Central Sulawesi police force “Currently the four bodies of the victims with the initials P.D. have been taken to their home in Kalemago Village,” Didik told BenarNews in Palu Poso has long been a hotbed of MIT activity The group now has been reduced to nine fighters although joint police and military manhunts mounted over the past several years have failed to wipe out MIT entirely “The area has been frequented by MIT and beheadings have only been carried out by MIT We strongly suspect that the perpetrators were MIT,” Didik said a fellow farmer said he saw a group of suspects approach the victims before he fled and informed the police “He saw the five perpetrators carrying firearms and sharp weapons When the police showed him photos of people on the wanted list He said police and soldiers rushed to the scene and found the bodies of the four victims A motorcycle belonging to one of the farmers had been torched the latest iteration of a joint task force whose mission is to hunt down the remnants of MIT “We believe the attackers were not far from the scene,” he said What is certain is that MIT did this as an act of terror to frighten the villagers,” Didik added Tuesday's killings came two months after a policeman a soldier and a pair of MIT suspects were killed in two separate gunfights in Poso In the last attack on civilians that was blamed on MIT, four villagers living in a Christian community in Sigi regency were killed on Nov One of the victims of that attack was also beheaded and two of the bodies were charred The attackers in Sigi also burned down eight houses That attack was the deadliest one till then carried out by MIT Residents in Kalemago village said they were afraid to work in their fields after Tuesday’s killings “There are no security forces to guard us in the field This is frightening us,” said one villager who called herself Mama Kevin “We hope that all the perpetrators will be immediately arrested so that we can feel safe here,” she told BenarNews Mama Kevin said the four slain people were relatives “They were all Torajans and worked as farmers,” she said referring to an ethnic group from southern Sulawesi said officers had been deployed to provide security to villagers “I urge residents not to get agitated and to remain calm The Madago Raya Task Force will provide security,” he told BenarNews Rakhman had earlier acknowledged that security personnel had difficulty tracking down MIT’s nine remaining members because of their familiarity with Poso’s rugged terrain He said he was taken aback by the latest attack “We hope that the perpetrators can be caught soon,” he said A deputy chairman of the Hanura Party in Central Sulawesi which was carried out two days before Eid al-Fitr the Muslim holiday that marks the end of the Ramadan fasting month We reject and strongly condemn this inhuman brutal act,” he said in a statement Frits urged the authorities and President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to tackle the scourge of terrorism in Central Sulawesi immediately These terrorists must be eradicated," he said which has pledged allegiance to the extremist group known as Islamic State (IS) has survived for years in the mountains and jungle of Poso who was the first Indonesian militant to pledge allegiance to IS publicly MIT is one of two pro-IS groups operating in Indonesia the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country which authorities have blamed for most terror attacks in the archipelago nation during the past five years Police and military members have operated a joint task force since 2016 to hunt down MIT militants authorities have taken a new approach to bringing an end to MIT by renaming Operation Tinombala as Madago Raya (Kindness) as part of a strategy that focuses on humanitarian and social activities “They still exist and cannot be underestimated The task force must really make extra efforts to crush them,” Lukman S Tahir a terrorism observer at the State Islamic Institute in Palu “We see that the operation has not been successful in eradicating MIT We hope that the military and police can work together well to solve this so that all people Although government forces have wiped out the Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen (MIT) organization counter-militancy operations in Central Sulawesi should be terminated gradually because sympathizers of extremist groups are still present there authorities announced that they had killed the last armed member of MIT after seven years of tracking a dwindling number of fugitives in the region’s forested mountains A decision is expected soon from authorities in Jakarta on what personnel are needed in Central Sulawesi to ensure that the province is safe post-MIT senior Police Commissioner Arif Budiman told BenarNews “Radical groups and Jemaah Islamiyah sympathizers in Poso and its surroundings still exist,” Arif told BenarNews referring to a regency that was a hotbed of MIT activity the al-Qaeda affiliate that carried out major bombings in Bali in 2002 and 2005 Arif heads the 1,378-strong Madago Raya Task Force operating in three regencies of Central Sulawesi – the latest in a series of joint police and military operations deployed in the region since 2015 He said that termination of such operations should be “carried out in stages.” Al Ikhwarisman (also known as Jaid and Pak Guru) was shot dead by members of Densus 88 in Poso Pesisir Utara district on Sept rooted in the bloody conflict between the Muslim-Christian community in Poso that killed more than 1,000 people between 1998 and 2001 It was known for terrorizing local farmers and as the first militant group in Indonesia to pledge allegiance to the Islamic State Indonesia deployed a joint military-police security operation aimed at wiping out MIT an analyst at the Institute for Security and Strategic Studies (ISESS) said the police refusal to immediately disband the “ad-hoc” task force could be financially motivated “My guess is that one of the reasons is because of vested interests the idea that the task force is a [lucrative] project,” Bambang told BenarNews a researcher at the University of Indonesia’s Center for Strategic Policy Studies the operation is also over,” Yanuardi said Authorities could instead now engage religious leaders to promote religious moderation and award scholarships to young people in Poso to boost their education “The government needs to win the hearts and minds of the people so that together they can live in peace,” he said Villagers are urging Indonesia’s leader to visit the restive Poso region in Central Sulawesi province as a sign of his commitment to resolving security problems there after pro-Islamic State militants killed four farmers in the latest violence there last week More than a dozen people representing residents of Lore Bersaudara submitted an open letter to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on Monday through the local legislative council Their letter expressed frustration at the authorities’ failure to root out the Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen (MIT) a pro-Islamic State militant group which government officials have blamed for two large deadly attacks in a six-month span but which is said to number less than a dozen fighters “For 22 years the people of Poso have endured dark times because of the lack of security and inadequate protection from the state for the people of Poso,” the villagers said in the letter  “We respectfully call on the honorable President of the Republic of Indonesia to immediately resolve the security problems in Poso thoroughly,” the letter said Muslim-Christian violence in Poso erupted in 1999 leaving thousands dead from both communities The sectarian fighting ended with the signing of a peace accord in 2001 but sporadic violence has rocked the region after MIT emerged in 2010 The letter also demanded that the government provide compensation and economic support for Poso residents who have been unable work because of security threats Mapeda promised to relay the villagers’ demands to the central government The letter follows a May 11 attack when suspected MIT militants killed four farmers in Poso’s Kalemago village – the first presumed attack by the group targeting civilians in more than five months “What happened to our brothers in Kalemago village recently is a tragedy for all Poso residents,” Sesi told reporters the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) gave 15 million rupiah (U.S $1,000) to survivors of the farmers – identified as Paulus Papa LPSK deputy chairman Edwin Partogi Pasaribu said the agency was ready to provide protection at the request of victims and witnesses MIT members allegedly killed four villagers in a Christian community in nearby Sigi regency on Nov That attack was the deadliest one against civilians mounted by MIT fighters to date Jokowi did not visit Central Sulawesi after the November attack but condemned it soon after as an “inhuman and uncivilized act,” as he called on authorities to wipe out those militants once and for all Poso has long been a hotbed of MIT activity – a group now reduced to nine fighters according to Indonesian officials who have mounted joint military and police manhunts over the past several years to wipe out the group Police and the military launched an operation codenamed Madago Raya to take down the militants Central Sulawesi police spokesman Didik Supranoto said One group led by Ali Kalora is active in Sigi regency while the other under the leadership of a militant named Qatar operates in Poso “This is based on witness reports and facts gathered by investigators on the ground,” Didik told reporters adding that authorities did not know what weapons were in MIT’s arsenal “We cannot clearly specify the weapons and ammunition owned by the two groups What is certain is that they are still armed,” Didik said He called on locals to remain calm and go about their activities as usual saying task-force members would provide security “And when members the public see any suspicious person they must immediately report to the authorities The TNI and police are committed to providing security to the community,” Didik said using an abbreviation for the armed forces Indonesia’s coordinating minister for political condemned the recent killings and vowed to crush MIT “The government is determined to eliminate these terrorists to completely eradicate the acts of violence carried out by terrorist groups both in Papua and the Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen terrorists in Poso,” Mahfud MD told reporters on Wednesday referring as well to separatist insurgents in the far-eastern Papua region He said MIT was increasingly “under siege,” without providing details Didik said provincial police had formed three teams consisting of Madago Raya task-force members to hunt down the MIT militants who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group One team is tasked with pursuing the MIT members in their jungle hideouts while a second team is to focus on preventing their escape in border areas The third team is deployed in villages to provide security we can successfully capture MIT,” Didik said MIT has survived in the mountains and jungles of Poso despite being hunted by police and military forces since 2015 It is one of two pro-IS groups operating in Indonesia MIT militants may have resorted to killing out of desperation as supplies were drying up or to show that they still exist director of the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) “They may have tried to get supplies including food,” she said Jones said MIT militants had eluded capture because security forces were not adequately trained for jungle operations “They can move from one place to another without getting caught,” she said Tria Dianti contributed to this report from Jakarta Kalinga – To enhance road safety and reduce the risk of vehicular accidents in collaboration with the City Environment and Natural Resources Office conducted a clean-up operation to remove gravel and concrete debris scattered along the road from barangays Appas and Ipil to Sitio Mapaoay on February 17 POSO Assistant Department Head Ernesto Dela Cruz Jr stated that City Mayor Darwin Estrañero had expressed growing concern over the increasing number of vehicular traffic accidents (VTAs) in the city the mayor directed the Law Enforcement and Road Safety Division to initiate clean-up drives in accident-prone areas this clean-up operation is a proactive measure aimed at minimizing road hazards and improving overall road safety One of the primary causes of VTAs in the area is slippery road conditions resulting from gravel debris falling off trucks transporting construction materials This poses a significant risk to motorists particularly during adverse weather conditions Dela Cruz further emphasized that this is not the first time their office has conducted such an operation and they plan to expand the initiative to other roads affected by similar issues POSO is conducting simultaneous inspections of trucks hauling gravel and other materials These checkpoints ensure compliance with city ordinances requiring the use of canvas covers and adherence to load limits to prevent overloading The POSO urges all motorists to exercise caution while driving and follow safety protocols to protect themselves and others on the road Authorities reaffirm their commitment to maintaining road safety and encourage cooperation from drivers and construction firms to help prevent further accidents Herald Express is a news organization based in Baguio City that has a weekly publication and an online news portal The newspaper is circulated in the different provinces of Northern Luzon The name of the fastest-growing publication in town is coined from the word ‘quick messenger’ which is self-explanatory © 2024 Baguio Herald Express | Website Design and Development by Neitiviti Studios Please enter your username or email address to reset your password © 2024 Baguio Herald Express | Website Design and Development by Neitiviti Studios Tatisiding residents have a new place to do their grocery shopping while also attending to their postal services as BotswanaPost officially opened the doors to its P4 million Poso Mall last week Wednesday (9 October) Located in Mmoroso ward opposite the clinic a hardware store as well as a small post office Speaking at the well-attended official opening Cornelius Ramatlhakwana revealed the idea was originally to build a strip mall where the shops are all arranged in one long line they saw fit to construct a modern Poso Mall “I encourage the community to embrace the new facility as by supporting these local businesses you contribute directly to the prosperity of Tati Siding and help build a thriving By generating additional income through initiatives like Poso Malls we create a financial buffer that helps alleviate the pressure on our core operations making it more affordable to continue delivering essential services across the country,” revealed Ramatlhakwana who described the Poso Mall as a groundbreaking initiative in BotswanaPost’s expansion strategy Slumber Tsogwane noted the development underpins BotswanaPost’s dedication to diversifying its revenue streams “Their commitment to growth and innovation is evident showcasing their dedication to serving the communities they serve and thriving despite challenges Let us continue to support our postal services as they evolve and a key driver of Botswana’s socio-economic success for generations to come,” said Tsogwane Thulagano Segokgo praised BotswanaPost for continuously evolving to remain relevant and accessible to the communities and the youth “One such innovation is the introduction of Virtual Post Boxes allowing citizens to receive and manage their mail digitally The rollout of Virtual Teller Machines (VTM’s) is another key development that brings a range of postal services that previously may have not been easily accessible,” said Segokgo Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "a1ed3394d386cc7428064188a28a365a" );document.getElementById("aad51f3427").setAttribute( "id" The Voice is a print and online newspaper based in Botswana founded in Francistown in 1993 as The Francistowner Extra in 1999 it opened offices in the national capital Poso - Tensions again escalate in Central Sulawesi’s  conflict-torn regency of Poso following the circulation of a footage of suspected terrorists calling on the nation’s Muslims to join their jihad in the region The three-minute-fifty-three-second footage was uploaded on YouTube by the East Indonesian Mujahiddin via an android cell phone on July 8 2013 or around two days after the emergence of similar footage by suspected terrorist Santoso Abu Warda called on Indonesian Muslims to participate in the jihad against the government we are fighting against the tyrant government and God will help us destroy the thagut (oppressors) Another part of the footage showed an anasheed (chants) saying “We are the lions of Ar-Rahman are not afraid to destroy arrogance We the lions or Ar-Rahman are not afraid…ready to fight our enemies…to tear them apart…Our struggle will not tremble…Poso awaits you…to do your aimless ghirah (protective jealousy)…keep your spirits up Wanted terrorist Santoso alias Abu Warda alias Commandant appeared on another footage wearing a black hood and flanked by two masked men holding FNC rifles titled “Message to Muslims in Poso” 2013 with duration of six minutes and three seconds whose name was written as Syaikh Abu Wardah Santoso on the footage said he was proud of the struggle of Poso residents against the police’s anti-terror squad Special Detachment 88 (Densus 88) I have witnessed how evil the Densus 88 was in slaughtering and imprisoning our brothers since 2007 to date And I experienced that first hand,” Santoso said while holding up an FN 46 pistol Santoso also called on his colleagues to continue battling the Densus 88 The police removed the video several days later “We removed the video so that people will not watch it,” Indonesian National Police chief General Timur Pradopo said at the presidential palace on July 11 The general said the police removed the video in tandem with the Informatics and Communication Ministry and investigations are still underway “We are taking more intensive measures,” he said We use cookies to guarantee the best experience and improve the performance of our website. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy The post-Soeharto era in Indonesia has been marked by the eruption of several violent internal conflicts throughout the country This combined with the transition to democracy begun by Soeharto’s successor have had direct impacts on the ways in which conflicts are managed in the country This report takes a practical look at the management of internal conflicts in Indonesia focusing its attention on three affected regions – Poso It attempts to fill the gap in existing comparative research and analysis in this area in order to inform future peacemaking efforts in the country The publication is one of three produced as part of the HD Centre’s project ‘Comparative Perspectives on Conflict Management in Asia’ The Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) works to prevent and resolve armed conflicts around the world through mediation and discreet diplomacy Ikuti media sosial medcom.id dan dapatkan berbagai keuntungan The government recently announced it would extend Operation Tinombala until it captured Santoso and members of his network. Photo by Jafar Bua The Indonesian government announced last month that it would extend Operation Tinombala until it captured Santoso and members of his network, which is thought to number 29 people The leader of the Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen (MIT) is suspected of running a terrorist training cell in the mountainous region of Central Sulawesi This will prolong the regime of violence that has afflicted the region for more than a decade disrupting the local economy and the lives of local residents Poso was the site of serious violence between Christian and Muslim communities from 1998 to 2001 A government-mediated peace accord was signed in 2001 and Indonesia then appeared to turn its back on Poso But the bombing of a marketplace in May 2005 and the beheading of three schoolgirls in October the same year forced the government to acknowledge that it had allowed extremism to fester unchecked and spurred it back into action About 15 years after the signing of the peace agreement the community is growing increasingly pessimistic about the prospects for peace in Poso the government has launched a series of security operations involving the mobilisation of police and military troops But it has not been able to break the chain of violence and terror The peak of previous government efforts to restore peace came on 22 January 2007 in an operation to capture violent jihadists on the wanted persons list (DPO) many of whom were connected to Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) The operation netted more than a dozen perpetrators but was criticised for the repressive actions of the security forces which were accused of violating human rights Although it does not excuse the excessive force used it is important to note that the raids followed the failure of a persuasive approach in which the police made prolonged attempts to convince their most wanted suspects to surrender A residual consequence of this repressive operation has been considerable psychological impacts on victims’ families which include not only feelings of trauma but also a desire among many for revenge Government operations over the past two years demonstrate the poor decisions that have characterised the approach to Poso and have allowed violence to continue the government launched Operation Camar Maleo I to hunt and capture Santoso with Camar Maleo IV eventually concluding on 8 January 2016 The four operations involved at least 700 military and 1,000 police officers while 700 remained in a number of points in Poso Pesisir subdistrict Operation Tinombala began on 10 January 2016 and was set to finish on 10 March and involved a force of 2,400 police and military troops Neither the Camar Maleo nor the Tinombala operations had much impact on life in Poso City but in Poso Pesisir subdistrict – where many residents depend on cropping for their livelihoods – the effects have been acutely felt Frequent gunfights between security forces and civilian militia groups mean that many residents fear getting caught up in the violence and have been forced to stop farming their crops Neither Christian nor Muslim communities support the repressive approach – both have been equally affected by disturbances to their daily lives The government has never conducted an evaluation or published data on the local social and economic ramifications of its security operations The security operation has also disrupted the social fabric of the region The stigma of being labelled a terrorist can affect social integration especially for the families left behind when terrorists are captured or killed Although Poso has not seen return to the communal violence between Christian and Muslim communities locals are starting to feel that little has changed Poso has become a site for the conflict industry and a training ground for war Poso was selected as a site for combat practice by the military’s elite Rapid Reaction Strike Force (PPRC) Some 3,222 military personnel from the air force navy and army were sent to Mount Biru for the exercise were forced to leave their homes for three weeks while the military scarred the terrain with artillery fire ostensibly to build houses and improve the supply of clean drinking water Although the military claims it is conducting training there is a widespread perception that its real intention is to capture Santoso Conducting military operations under the guise of training is a clear violation of Law No which states that military operations can only be carried out with the endorsement of the national legislature (DPR) A consequence of the military’s involvement in Poso has been a lack of clarity about police and military roles Although police should take the lead in the eradication of terrorism (in accordance with Law No 15 of 2003 on the Eradication of Terrorism) there is now some confusion as to which institution is best placed to head the operation to capture Santoso While in the past the military was always considered “backup” to police Operation Tinombala has been designated a joint police-military operation Some have argued that it is this lack of clarity – and competition between the two security forces – that has prevented Santoso’s capture and the fact that the security forces have not been able to guarantee the safety of residents has provoked simmering feelings of suspicion and distrust of the security forces among the local population have shot targets who have not shown any resistance Residents in Poso grumble that the prolonged operation seems little more than a site for senior police seeking to advance their careers They cite the fact that the Central Sulawesi police chief has been promoted three times over recent years and police who have served in the province have often gone on to senior positions in the force (for example Poso locals are now asking: will these operations ever put an end to the violence Is the government aware of the impacts of its operations on the community in particular the residents of Poso Pesisir which was originally scheduled to finish on 10 March involved a joint force of 2,400 police and military troops Members of the national legislature have recently called for a more rigorous evaluation of operations in Poso Poso is a post-conflict area and the emergence of civilian militia should not be seen as an isolated issue rather it is related to unfinished business following the communal conflict The public needs to know about the legislative framework and standard operating procedures guiding the operation functions and authorities of the assigned officials is that there must be far greater transparency about how much of the state (APBN) and provincial budgets (APBD) have been allocated to the operations The government has never published detailed figures on the amount and source of funds for the Camar Maleo and Tinombala operations undoubtedly absorbed large amounts of government funds as they lasted a full year and involved close to 2,000 security personnel Monitoring and evaluation of past and existing operations should involve the local government representatives from the national and local legislatures (DPR/DPRD) While national and regional legislatures are better placed to control and evaluate the technical implementation of operations civil society organisations and members of the public can provide detailed information on the impacts on local communities The government has never conducted an evaluation or published data about the local social and economic ramifications of the security operations If the provincial government can more accurately identify the social and economic problems resulting from the operations then it will be better placed to issue policies to minimise them The local government needs to prioritise policies that will promote social inclusion and ensure residents continue to have access to economic resources Terror and violence will never be resolved with a repressive approach or by mobilising security forces as if going to war with a powerful enemy governments generally have three options: political resolution at the negotiation table The government would be much better off facing Santoso and his network with a persuasive approach that focuses on processing perpetrators through the courts and avoids spilling further blood As the 11 years of security operations in Poso have shown a repressive approach will only result in a transient reduction in violence The emergence of a civilian militia in Poso is not simply a matter of ideology It is also related to the way the security forces have targeted perpetrators of violence when the victims of violence were members of the Christian community it was clear that the motive for violence was revenge over the communal conflict at the turn of the century But in the case of Santoso and his network the targets of terror and violence have been the security forces and their collaborators Improving the social and economic conditions of the people in Poso will help to change community perceptions about the government’s intentions in bringing peace to the region it has been the accumulated disappointment over the government’s failure to manage Poso effectively for more than a decade that has spurred the emergence of a civilian militia which has been so easily exploited by actors with malevolent intentions Photos by Jafar Bua published with permission Email:  indo-at-melb@unimelb.edu.au We acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Owners of the lands upon which our campuses are situated Police in Indonesia’s Poso regency say they have stepped up security following a series of deadly terrorist-linked incidents elsewhere in the country suicide bombings in East Java and a police headquarters attack in Sumatra The regency in Central Sulawesi province has had a long history of militancy Poso is home to the Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen (MIT) a militant group tied to the so-called Islamic State (IS) which claimed the recent attacks in other parts of the sprawling country we immediately positioned ourselves under the top alert,” Poso regency Police Chief Bogiek Sugiyarto told BenarNews last week a few days after a suicide bombing at a police headquarters in Surabaya The heightened security in Poso matches efforts throughout the country The national police announced Tuesday that a week-long counterterrorism operation had resulted in 60 arrests and the killings of 14 suspected militants “In addition to anticipated threats from outside Poso we also anticipate threats that come from inside Poso,” Bogiek said adding that areas vulnerable to radical groups had been monitored could be in Poso and could act at any time 30 fully armed police personnel stopped and checked each car passing a check point along the Trans Sulawesi road leading into the district A Poso residents said armed officers were spotted in many locations and patrolling residential areas “It’s been a very tight security in Poso for a few days now Even the local people have to show their identity cards if they are questioned,” resident Ardin Adnan told BenarNews This type of security is not new for the community that saw about 1,000 people killed in a series of communal riots in 1998 and 2000 Poso has grown accustomed to security officers as about 600 troops constitute a joint task force operating as Tinombala with a mission of hunting down the remaining MIT members hiding out in the mountainous region the task force replaced a similar operation that aimed to capture or kill the remaining 40 MIT members The success of their missions brought the group’s number to less than 10 with the loss of its leadership was killed in July 2016 and his second-in-command But the group is still seen as a threat as it operates under the leadership of Ali Muhammad (alias Ali Kalora or Ali Ambon) 14-second video of the new MIT chief calling for his followers to fight and not negotiate with the government has circulated on social media who appeared in the video standing between two men armed with M-16s said they relied on their weapons to keep from being captured said the video showed the group had not disbanded “The video proves that they are still in Poso,” he said asking how a group that is supposed to be cornered has the ability to post this on social media Ermi Widyatno had little to say about this Widyatno had said that seven MIT members were at large He based his comment on testimony of the two militants who were captured in April The economy is good and we have had a number of investors come and invest,” he said had a de-radicalization program for MIT families and followers especially the families of former combatants in Poso They now all have got back to the community,” he said Police in Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi province shot and killed two suspected members of a militant group linked to Islamic State (IS) on Wednesday the suspected members of the Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen (MIT) had shot and wounded a police officer outside a bank in the town of Poso provincial police spokesman Didik Supranoto said Footage from a surveillance camera seen by BenarNews showed one of the men pointing a gun at the officer as he parked his motorcycle in front of the bank but one of the attackers shot him in the chest Police chased the attackers who escaped on a motorbike and killed them in an ensuing gun battle “Our officers were forced to take firm action because they put up a fight,” Didik told BenarNews Didik said the two men had been on the list of people wanted for involvement with MIT whose leaders have pledged allegiance to IS The spokesman said police found homemade bombs wrapped around the bodies of the two suspects whom he identified as Ali (alias Darwin Gobel) and Muis Fahron (alias Abdullah) police said that group’s membership had been reduced to seven people Poso police chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Darno said officers raided a nearby house believed to be the suspects’ hideout and found bullets Central Sulawesi police chief Inspector Gen Syafril Nursal told reporters in Poso that the remains of the suspects would be brought to a police hospital in Palu Didik said the wounded officer was in stable condition The director of the Institute for Human Rights Studies and Development in Central Sulawesi criticized the police for using lethal force “The two MIT members should have been captured alive so the motive for the attack and their network could be revealed,” Affandi told BenarNews The government launched Operation Tinombala in January 2016 with a mission to capture or kill MIT militants who led MIT before being killed by security forces in 2016 was the first Indonesian militant to publicly pledge allegiance to IS The militant leader had operated out of the mountains in Poso where he conducted para-military training for militants The training sessions drew recruits from other parts of Indonesia The world’s largest Muslim-majority country Indonesia has been hit by a string of terrorist attacks in the past two decades with more recent strikes being blamed on militants affiliated with IS TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Central Sulawesi Police continue to carry out the Tinombala operation in Poso District in a bid to pursue members of the armed civilian group led by the terrorist Santoso.   we will soon replace the troops to include a trained hunters' team," Central Sulawesi Regional Police Chief Brig Argawa said they will reinforce the Tinombala operation's troops by adding officers from Brimob Kelapa Dua Jakarta "We have our focus on and we hope that Poso's handling is more comprehensive and specific," he said The Tinombala operation is held to capture the Mujahidin terrorist network of East Indonesia (MIT) Santoso was killed in a shootout on July 18 Some men have surrendered while others have either been arrested or killed.  The police estimate there are still seven Mujahidin terrorist members roaming freely in Poso Argawa also urged them to surrender in the name of peace The Tinombala operation will be carried out for up to three months after it was extended on April 1 But Argawa hopes it wouldn’t take that long He said the operation will be assisted by 100 TNI members Indonesia`s Startup Investment at Rp39.8 tn   Jokowi Keeps Low Profile on Social Media   International Coffee Day: Solo to Give 5,000 Cups of Free Coffee   Top 5 Indonesian Athletes in 2018 Asian Para Games   Sumatra Plans Restoration of Hundreds of Hectares of Peat Land Sperm Whale Ingested Plastic Waste; Serious Solution Required Ousted Casillas Speaks of Triumph over Juventus An Indonesian Islamic State group-linked militant organization has been wiped out with the killing of its last member after a years-long campaign involving soldiers and police The Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen (MIT) had been dying a slow death until its leader Ali Kalora was killed last September when the last holdout named Jaid (also known as Pak Guru) was killed in a gunfight with anti-terror police in Poso Pesisir Utara said provincial police chief Inspector General Rudy Sufahriadi all MIT fugitives are gone,” Rudy told reporters in Palu And of course this could not have been achieved without the support of all parties,” he said including a standard-issue revolver with bullets and three home-made bombs said Central Sulawesi police spokesman Didik Supranoto Jaid was a senior MIT member who had joined the group since its inception was skilled in bomb-making and was involved in a series of attacks on civilians “Everywhere he went he carried homemade bombs,” Didik said Rudy said security forces taking part in Operation Madago Raya had tracked Jaid’s movements to the mountainous jungles of Poso regency after one of two remaining MIT militants had died from gunshot wounds he sustained in a shootout with police in May a researcher at the Center for the Study of Radicalism and Deradicalization (PAKAR) “Nae’s body was not found by the Operation Madago Raya task force in Poso so the hunt for MIT fugitives in Central Sulawesi has ended,” Adhe told BenarNews MIT formed in 2010 as a reaction to Christian-Muslim sectarian violence in Poso town that left more than 1,000 people dead between 1998 and 2001 Their mission was to establish an Islamic state in Indonesia The group is known for its grisly killings of police and civilians it said were informants for security forces MIT was largely focused on Poso and its surrounding regencies Most notable among them was a charismatic man called Santoso who had succeeded in broadening the militant base in Poso One of the first major successes of the Indonesian security forces against MIT was the killing of Santoso in 2016 Indonesia’s most wanted militant at the time He had been the first Indonesian militant to publicly pledge allegiance to the so-called Islamic State (IS) militant group the government launched Operation Tinombala with a mission to capture or kill MIT militants The name changed to Madago Raya (Kindness) as part of a strategy that focused on humanitarian and social activities the task force had more than 1,300 members Although all MIT fugitives had either been arrested or killed Bima in West Nusa Tenggara province and Makassar in South Sulawesi the threat of terrorism in Poso is by no means over a researcher at the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) especially those with ties to the Muslim-Christian conflict there at the turn of the century “Prevention is important for security forces including monitoring the MIT network outside Poso such as in Bima and in other provinces,” said Deka referring to those who supported and sent fund to MIT Police should also pay attention to terrorism financing and fundraising efforts by militant groups “Terrorism financing is not only for the purpose of carrying out acts of terrorism said security operations in Poso may still continue but that would be up to the national leadership “If another operation should be carried out it would be no longer about hunting MIT fugitives,” he said “There are still many [MIT] sympathizers that we need to educate properly.” The prolonged Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen insurgency in the country’s Sulawesi region has its roots in a bloody Muslim-Christian conflict at the turn of the century it all began on the night before Christmas in 1998 when a drunk Christian youth stabbed a Muslim man Spirits were running high – and so did tempers The stabbing spurred a violent confrontation between Christian and Muslim gangs That led to an all-out conflict between the two communities in Poso a mountainous regency of Central Sulawesi province More than 1,000 people were killed between 1998 and 2001 Poso nowadays is the main hotbed for the Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen a pro-Islamic State group that numbers less than a dozen fighters The December 2001 signing of a peace agreement coupled with a belief that justice had not been served who called themselves the Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen executive director of the Center for Radicalism and Deradicalization Studies (PAKAR) which is not simply motivated by a desire to establish an Islamic state Historically they can be traced back to the Poso conflict It was the reason they engaged in violence in the first place,” Adhe told BenarNews “We need to understand [that this is] the root of the radical movement in Poso.” Most attacks in Poso and neighboring regencies in Sulawesi in recent years including the killing of four Christians on Nov which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State terror organization in 2014 police station bombings and killings of security personnel and farmers The forerunner to the MIT in Poso is the Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT) group It was started in 2008 by Jemaah Islamiyah founder Abu Bakar Bashir after JI was declared an illegal organization Jemaah Islamiyah was the Southeast Asian affiliate of al-Qaeda that was blamed for Indonesia’s deadliest terrorist attack especially after police discovered and then disbanded a militant training camp JAT has set up in Indonesia’s Aceh province has largely focused on Poso and its surrounding regencies Most notable among them was a charismatic man called Santoso (alias Abu Wardah) and who was believed to have headed the military wing of JAT’s Poso branch “The JAT leadership in 2010 entrusted Santoso with the task of making Poso a training center for jihad to establish an Islamic state,” Arifuddin said Santoso did not disappoint the JAT leadership and focused his band’s military training on Mount Mauro and Mount Biru in Poso Pesisir Utara Because he had succeeded in broadening the militant base in Poso MIT carried out one of its first brazen attacks The militants killed two policemen and buried their bodies in a hole an incident that brought MIT international attention for the first time Many of the people who joined MIT had lost family members in the 1998-2001 sectarian violence in Poso a former Jemaah Islamiyah member and close associate of Santoso “The government failed to mete out justice for the people who killed their families during the conflict They were neglected and hurt,” Ino told BenarNews which ended the fighting the between the two religious communities in 2001 there was a clause to forgive and forget – ‘you should not ask who killed your uncle so that we can have a clean slate,’” Adhe said “But apparently this message did not reach the grassroots People still hold grudges when they see killers in the market place Santoso’s rise and success in 2012 emboldened MIT which in the following years launched several bold attacks the government in January 2015 launched a hunt for MIT militants This operation was replaced by Operation Tinombala Hundreds of police officers and soldiers began scouring the mountains and jungles of Poso regency Tinombala had its first major success in July 2016 when its troops shot dead Santoso along with Mukhtar which at one point had more than 40 members was further weakened after some militants surrendered to the authorities But as last week’s killings in Lembantongoa in Sigi show although public support for MIT is almost non-existent today reconciliation between the Muslim and Christian communities has not been fully achieved according to a study by the Paramadina Center for Studies on Religion and Democracy (PUSAD) last year “Peace in Poso is still vulnerable to being disrupted by the lingering influence of hardline ideologies,” said PUSAD’s study “Peace is being threatened by the continued support for the MIT group from groups outside Poso both Christians and Muslims have since largely lived side-by-side without hostilities a Christian leader who was one of the signatories of the Malino Declaration “Christians and Muslims are now free to go anywhere as there is no longer communal conflict,” he said “People refuse to be provoked into conflict The recent killings in Lembantongoa have not provoked Christians to retaliate.” There is little to no support for MIT from the Muslim community “There is no place for MIT members or sympathizers in Poso The ideology of MIT is far from being the real jihad,” Ibrahim told BenarNews “real jihad” is trying to be a better human being Many young people of all communities have tried to forget about the conflict and have embraced things like technology because they see it as a route to upward mobility especially when these young people are victims of the Poso conflict themselves,” he said im glad that the new generations have seen the light that waging war and conflict is such an archaic yesterday and lets face it (ugh yawn) boring way of resolving our differences in society for the future and we are all just better off making love not war An ex-terrorist turned filmmaker is telling the true story of a cocoa farmer who was forced to become a courier for an Islamic militant group in Indonesia’s Sulawesi region so he could keep working his fields without fear of attack self-funded film features amateur actors and is set for a limited It’s part of a series of films by former Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) member Arifudin Lako that aim to counter the spread of radicalism in Poso where a bloody sectarian conflict once took place “This film is based on a true story that has never been told before in Poso,” Arifudin I’d like to warn the people of Poso and Indonesians in general not to be easily lured by groups that can lead them to radicalism especially in the name of religion,” said the terrorism convict the al-Qaeda-linked militant group to which he belonged for the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people – Indonesian’s deadliest terror attack to date “Kurir [Courier]” follows cocoa farmer Iwan Gombo who reluctantly becomes a courier for the Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen militant group whose members are hiding out in the jungles of Poso to evade capture by government security forces is one of two pro-Islamic State groups operating in Indonesia which Indonesian authorities have blamed for most terror attacks in the archipelago nation during the past six years The MIT insurgency is concentrated in Indonesia’s Sulawesi region and is rooted in a Muslim-Christian conflict which left more than 1,000 people dead between 1998 and 2001 The number of MIT operatives has dwindled to two but in May police arrested some two dozen militant suspects many of whom said they were planning to join MIT Authorities said MIT members were responsible for several killings MIT killed four farmers in Central Sulawesi they killed four villagers living in a Christian community in Sigi regency near Poso the farmer character in “Kurir,” is tasked with delivering supplies and informing the militants on the movements of security forces “Kurir” director Arifudin said some couriers recruited by MIT including Iwan and even some Hindus and Christians “Locals who work as farmers and planters were forced to become MIT couriers This is a fact that we have established on the ground,” he said “Some of the farmers who were killed in Poso and Parigi Moutong used to work as MIT couriers they were gruesomely killed by MIT,” he said Supriyadi (also known as Upik Pagar and Perdiansyah) one of MIT’s founders who spent three years in prison “This is what happened in Poso and not many people know that there are couriers who help MIT and they did not do so because of their ideology but because they were forced due to fear of being killed,” he told BenarNews Supriyadi said he agreed to join the project at Arifudin’s request because of his mission to draw youth away from terrorism “I don’t want Poso people or anyone else in Indonesia to be involved in terrorism Because what the militant groups have done is wrong in the eyes of the law and religion,” Supriyadi said  ‘No one … should become part of terror groups’ spent six years and four months in prison for taking part in the killing of a prosecutor in the provincial capital Palu in 2004 He has made several films to steer young people away from extremism He has made these films with the Rumah Katu Community an NGO that seeks to empower youth from different religious backgrounds His previous films are Home-made “Weapons,” “2/3 Nights,” “The Way Home” and “Salim’s Greetings.” Everything is about terrorism with one goal: No one else should become part of terror groups,” Arifudin said a student at Sintuwu Maroso University in Poso “Kurir” producer and casting director Adriani Badrah said teachers civil servants and business people participated in making the film Because radical groups are also spreading their ideas through films,” she said Adriani said the filmmakers did not receive outside funding said the crew made do with equipment they had while borrowing cameras and drones from their relatives hopefully the message in this film can be immediately accepted by the public,” Ferdiansyah told BenarNews said the fact that former militants are engaging in positive activities is a testament to the success of their deradicalization “Their positive movement must be supported,” Lukman told BenarNews “The campaign against radicalism through the film is a real step that addresses religious The film will be screen in all schools and universities in Poso so that the message of the film can reach the community especially young people who are in schools and universities,” Yasin said He also said that his administration was paying attention to the welfare of repentant former terrorism convicts creating jobs and providing assistance,” he said be respectful of others' point of view and stick to the facts.