Poso riots

Poso riots
Poso riots
	Map view front of Poso riots
Date	December 25, 1998 – December 20, 2001
Location	Poso Regency ; part of Morowali Regency
Caused by	Brawl between Muslim and Christian youths
Resulted in	Malino I Declaration armed truce
Parties
Lead figures
	Adnan Arsal ; Mustad Kanali ; Safdan Kanali ; Ari Koenu ; Adven Lateka † ; Fabianus Tibo ; Marinus Riwu ; Dominggus da Silva ; Abdurrahman Wahid ; Wiranto ; Roesmanhadi ;
Casualties
Death(s)	over 1,000

Last updated August 30, 2024

The Poso riots, also known as Poso communal conflict, is a name given to a series of riots that occurred in Poso, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. This incident involved a group of Muslims and Christians in the region and was divided into three stages. The first Poso riot took place from December 25 to 29, 1998, continued from April 17 to 21, 2000, and finally from May 16 to June 15, 2000.

Background

Central Sulawesi is a mountainous province situated between the southern part and the northern part of Sulawesi Island, including many islands nearby. Poso Regency is one of eight other regencies established only after 2002 within the province. The capital of Poso Regency, Poso, is located in the bay, six hours southeast of the provincial capital, Palu. Currently, Poso Regency has a Muslim majority population in towns and coastal villages, and the majority of Protestant indigenous people in the highlands. Historically, in addition to the native Muslim population, there are many migrants of Bugis people from South Sulawesi, as well as from the northern Gorontalo region. There is also a long tradition of Arab traders living in the region, and their descendants play an important role in religious institutions and Islamic education in the area.

The regency is also a focus of the government's transmigration program, which aimed at bringing citizens from densely populated areas, such as Muslim-dominated islands including Java and Lombok, as well as Hindu-dominated Balinese islands, to scarcely populated areas. The Muslim community here consists of indigenous people, official transmigrants, and economic migrants of various ethnic groups which have settled in this area for decades. Under these circumstances, in the late 1990s, the Muslim population became the majority in Poso Regency with percentages above 60 percent.

On the other hand, ethno-linguistic groups that include Pamona, Mori, To Napu, Behoa and Bada inhabit the highlands of the regency. Many of these ethnic groups were formerly constituted dynasties and have histories of war between each others. The missionary activity of Netherlands began at the turn of the 20th century among these people, effectively proliferated Christianity. The city of Tentena became the economic and spiritual center for the Protestant population of Poso, and the center of the synod of the Central Sulawesi Christian Church. This small town lies to the north of Lake Poso in North Pamona Sub-Regency, one of the few sub-regencies with the majority population of Pamona people.

Although the initial conflict centered on tensions between Muslim Bugis migrants and Protestant Pamona people, many other groups were drawn through their ethnic, cultural, or economic ties.^[3]

Effects

With the growing wave of violence, people fled to areas with the majority population of their religion. The Muslims went to Palu, Poso, and the coastal city of Parigi, while Christians in Parigi fled to Tentena and Napu which is located in the mountains, or Manado, in North Sulawesi. In January 2002, after the Malino I Declaration was signed, official figures for coordination with the humanitarian responses to the conflict estimated a total of 86,000 internal refugees emerged in Central Sulawesi. Central Sulawesi Christian Church estimates 42,000 refugees in the Christian-dominated area in other regencies.^[4]^[5]

After the Malino I Declaration, there were some tentative progress. By the end of February, 10,000 refugees had returned home, mostly to the city of Poso, the sub-regency of Poso Pesisir, Lage and Tojo.^[6] In March 2002, Human Rights Watch found that many families were hesitantly sending male family members back and clearing the debris by building temporary houses, while waiting to see if the situation remained stable. Some were also waiting for the end of the school year. Since then the number of refugees has begun to decline, and diminishing slowly. The Poso Regency Police and Political Affairs Office reported that in mid-July 2002, 43,308 people had returned home, some 40 percent of the estimated total 110,227 refugees.^[7]

There are two notable exceptions to this positive trend. New violence often makes traumatized citizens return fleeing to safe havens. For example, clashes in August 2002 forced about 1,200 people to seek refuge in Tentena. Government or individual efforts of rebuilding have been hampered by new waves of violence throughout the crisis. Some people told Human Rights Watch that they had seen their homes destroyed more than once, and the barracks built by the local government and Indonesian army in 2000 were often targeted by these attacks. Christians in Tentena also have no plans to dismantle their shelter which is painstakingly built, in case of the need of the shelter in the future.^[8]

Other important exceptions are regarding the refugees belonging to minorities in their home regions. Muslim refugees from Tentena told Human Rights Watch in Palu that they had no plans to return home, although the remaining twenty-four Muslims who never left Tentena reported that their situation was safe.

Some refugees were given access to land in their new areas, such as Nunu area of Palu, and were able to support themselves through agricultural activities. Christian refugees in Tentena built large housing and are able to find jobs in the urban market, which is economically positive because of means to travel to other markets being limited. In areas where land or work is scarce, conditions are much more poor.

A local NGO reported in August 2002 that the basic needs of refugees were not met, creating problems such as the lack of nutrition for children, widespread diarrhea, skin disease and tetanus from shot wounds.^[9] In a mental health assessment by the government in 2001, it indicates that more than 55 percent of those displaced suffer from psychological problems, while major health problems are malaria, respiratory problems, gastric – intestine, and skin diseases.^[10]

Related Research Articles

Central Sulawesi is a province of Indonesia located at the centre of the island of Sulawesi. The administrative capital and largest city is located in Palu. The province borders the provinces of Gorontalo to the east, Southeast Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, and West Sulawesi to the south, and sharing maritime borders with East Kalimantan to the west, North Maluku to the east, and Malaysia and the Philippines to the north.

Poso is the administrative capital of Poso Regency, Indonesia. It is the main port and transportation hub for the central-southern coast of Central Sulawesi. Its urban area consists of three districts, Poso Kota, North Poso Kota, and South Poso Kota. Poso lies in the middle of the province on the shore of the Gulf of Tomini, right in the central part of Sulawesi Island. With a total population of 47,477 in 2020, it is one of the biggest and oldest towns in the province.

Palu, officially known as the City of Palu, is the capital and largest city of Central Sulawesi Province in Indonesia. Palu is located on the northwestern coast of Sulawesi and borders Donggala Regency to the north and west, Parigi Moutong Regency to the east, and Sigi Regency to the south. The city boundaries encompass a land area of 395.06 km² (152.53 sq mi). According to the 2020 Indonesian census, Palu had a population of 373,218, making it the third-most populous city on the island after Makassar and Manado; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 387,493 - comprising 194,340 males and 193,150 females. Palu is the center of finance, government, and education in Central Sulawesi, as well as one of several major cities on the island. The city hosts the province's main port, its biggest airport, and most of its public universities.

On October 30, 2005, three Christian girls: Theresia Morangke (15), Alfita Poliwo (17), and Yarni Sambue (17), were beheaded by Muslim jihadists in Poso on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, an area plagued by sectarian violence since 2001. The attackers planned the beheadings after visiting the Philippines. In 2006, three men were arrested and in 2007 convicted of the crime, one being sentenced to 20 years in prison and the others to 14 years.

The Central Sulawesi Christian Church is the largest Christian church in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. It belongs to the Reformed family of churches. The church was established in the early 1893 through the mission work of the Dutch Reformed Church and became an independent denomination in 1947 when Indonesia declared its independence from the Netherlands and ordered all Dutch nationals to go home. November 1993, there was in Tentena a celebration feast for 100 years Christianity.

A market was bombed on 31 December 2005, in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. An improvised explosive device, described as a nail bomb or similar, detonated around 7:00 a.m. within a Palu butcher's market mostly frequented by Christians shopping for New Year's Eve celebrations, killing eight people and wounding a further 53.

Mujahedeen KOMPAK or KOMPAC is a Darul Islam organisation based in Indonesia's Sulawesi island. Formed in 1988 with the stated aim of helping victims of conflict and disaster, it has been linked to providing funding for terrorist organisations such as Jemaah Islamiyah as well as carrying out attacks on local Christian groups. The organisation has been accused of diverting relief funds from mainstream Muslims in Australia and abroad to fund terrorist activities.

Parigi Moutong Regency is a regency of Central Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. The regency was created on 10 April 2002 by splitting off the eastern districts previously part of Donggala Regency. It covers an area of 5,877.47 km² and had a population of 413,588 at the 2010 Census and 440,015 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 457,031. The principal town lies at Parigi in the south of the regency. The regency stretches from around Parigi district in its south all the way past Moutong district in the north, giving the name.

Poso Regency is a regency of Central Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. It covers an area of 7,438.55 km², and had a population of 209,228 at the 2010 Census and 244,875 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 251,654. The principal town lies at Poso.

Sigi Regency is a regency of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. It was created on 21 July 2008 by splitting off the southern districts from Donggala Regency. It lies upstream on the Palu River, and immediately south of Palu city, the provincial capital. The regency is almost landlocked; it has a small coastline between Palu city and the western part of Donggala regency. It covers an area of 5,196.02 km² and had a population of 215,030 at the 2010 Census and 239,421 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 266,656. The principal town lies at Sigi Biromaru.

A market in the center of Tentena, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia was bombed on 28 May 2005. Two improvised explosive devices, set to explode 15 minutes apart, detonated during the morning, killing 22 and wounding at least 40 more. The fatalities included a Christian clergyman and a 3-year-old boy. Several Islamic militants were later charged and sentenced to jail terms in 2007 and 2010 for their roles in organizing the bombing, among other sectarian attacks in the Poso region.

The Walisongo school massacre is the name given to a series of terrorists attacks by Christian militants on May 28, 2000, upon several predominantly Muslim villages around Poso town, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia as part of a broader sectarian conflict in the Poso region. Officially, the total number killed in the attacks is 367, but there is no definite figure of how many died. The number of dead is believed to be more than the 39 calculated from bodies later discovered in three mass graves, and equal to or below the 191 quoted by Muslim sources.

A series of terrorist attacks targeting public transport occurred in Poso, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, between 5 June and 8 August 2002. In total 7 people were killed and 26 wounded, including an Italian tourist. The first attack occurred on 5 June 2002, when a bomb detonated in an Antariksa-owned public bus servicing the Palu, Poso and Tentena routes. Four passengers were killed instantly and 17 more were wounded, one of who would succumb to his injuries two weeks later. On 13 July 2002 the second attack occurred on the trans-Sulawesi highway when the bus driver found a bag lying on the road and asked his conductor to retrieve it, triggering the device: an 18-year-old bystander was killed and at least 4 others severely wounded in the blast. In the third attack, on 8 August 2002, an Italian tourist was killed and at least 4 Indonesians injured when unknown assailants fired automatic weapons into another bus.

The Kanta is a traditional shield of the Toraja and Pamona people of Tana Toraja Regency, South Sulawesi and Poso Regency, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia respectively.

The Pamona people is an ethnic group of Indonesia. They inhabit almost the entire Poso Regency, parts of Tojo Una-Una Regency and parts of North Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi; in fact there are some even in East Luwu Regency of South Sulawesi, whereas a small remainder lives in other parts of Indonesia. The ancestors of the Pamona people originally came from the land of Salu Moge because they were once from the mountains which is far from the central governance thus they were brought down by Macoa Bawalipu of Wotu, East Luwu Regency to be nearer to the central governance, which is the surrounding region of Mangkutana. But it was until a revolt by the DI/TII rebellion broke out that they spread to Central Sulawesi and to other regions. If there are Pamona people in certain regions, then it is common that a Rukun Poso is formed there, which serves as a means of a group of people from a common ethnic background to engage in various activities within the region. Almost all of the Pamona people practices Christianity. Christianity came into the region at the end of the 19 century and until today it is widely accepted as the religion of the people. Today, all churches of common denomination are grouped under the Central Sulawesi Christian Church headquartered in Tentena, Poso Regency, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. A large part of the common folk uses Pamona and Indonesian language that is mixed with the local slang. The Pamona people are usually farmers, government officials, pastors, entrepreneurs and so on.

Santoso, known as Abu Wardah, was an Indonesian Islamic militant and the leader of East Indonesia Mujahideen (MIT). He pledged allegiance to ISIL in July 2014. He was killed on 18 July 2016 by the Indonesian Army after two years of hiding in the jungles near Poso, Sulawesi.

The East Indonesia Mujahideen was an Islamist militant group operating out of Poso, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. The group was led by Abu Wardah until he was killed by Indonesian police on 18 July 2016. After the death of Santoso, the group was led by Ali Kalora until he was killed on 18 September 2021. The group has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.

Pendolo is a town and the administrative capital of South Pamona subdistrict in Poso Regency, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Malino I Declaration or Malino Declaration for Poso is a peace treaty initiated by the government of Indonesia on December 20, 2001, in Malino, Gowa Regency, South Sulawesi. This agreement brought together Christians and Muslims who fought in Poso in communal conflict from 1998 to 2001, also known as Poso riots. The meeting was chaired by the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare at the time, Jusuf Kalla.

The Central Sulawesi Youth Movement often abbreviated GPST, was a pro-government militia movement formed to counter the Permesta and Darul Islam rebellions in the eastern region of Central Sulawesi, particularly in Poso, Morowali, and Banggai, in the period 1957 to 1960. The GPST itself was established on 5 December 1957.

References

Citations

1 2 Indonesia flashpoints: Sulawesi. BBC. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
↑ Marino Declaration signed two warring parties end conflict and create peace in Poso, Central Sulawesi. Reliefweb. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
↑ Aragon, Lorraine (June 2002). "Waiting for peace in Poso" . Retrieved March 16, 2017.
↑ "Estimates of the government Implementation Coordination Unit (Satkorlak)". January 2002.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
↑ "Crisis Center of the Central Sulawesi Christian Church". December 2001.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
↑ "Police Head to Poso to Help Disarm Factions". The Jakarta Post . February 25, 2002.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
↑ "Forkom Replace Pokja Malino in Poso". Compass . August 4, 2002.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
↑ "Poso Conflict Will Be Delivered to Vice President Website = Nuance Headings". July 6, 2002.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
↑ "Refugee Conditions at Kamp Kec. Lage, Kec. North Pamona, East Pamona, Poso Pesisir, South Pamona, and North Lore, Poso District". LPS – HAM. August 2002.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
↑ "Background information on the IDP situation in Indonesia". Norway Norwegian Refugee Council . August 28, 2002.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)

Sources

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[BBC-1] 1 2 Indonesia flashpoints: Sulawesi. BBC. Retrieved June 16, 2017.

[2] Marino Declaration signed two warring parties end conflict and create peace in Poso, Central Sulawesi. Reliefweb. Retrieved July 16, 2017.

[ARG1-3] Aragon, Lorraine (June 2002). "Waiting for peace in Poso" . Retrieved March 16, 2017.

[PGN1-4] "Estimates of the government Implementation Coordination Unit (Satkorlak)". January 2002.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)

[PGN2-5] "Crisis Center of the Central Sulawesi Christian Church". December 2001.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)

[JKPOST1-6] "Police Head to Poso to Help Disarm Factions". The Jakarta Post . February 25, 2002.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)

[KPS1-7] "Forkom Replace Pokja Malino in Poso". Compass . August 4, 2002.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)

[NPS1-8] "Poso Conflict Will Be Delivered to Vice President Website = Nuance Headings". July 6, 2002.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)

[LPS1-9] "Refugee Conditions at Kamp Kec. Lage, Kec. North Pamona, East Pamona, Poso Pesisir, South Pamona, and North Lore, Poso District". LPS – HAM. August 2002.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)

[NOR1-10] "Background information on the IDP situation in Indonesia". Norway Norwegian Refugee Council . August 28, 2002.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)

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