POSO

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POSO,The Killing Fields

Chronology

It was a coincidence that Christmas (December 1998) fell in the month of
Ramadhan when the Muslims were engaged in fasting and increased
supplication. Christian groups aggravated those in prayer by getting
drunk in the front yard of a mosque. The inebriated group were politely
asked to leave by one of the mosque wardens which they appeared to
accept. The following day, when the mosque warden wondered out to wake
the Muslims prior to dawn, he was stopped by a Christian group who
offered him pork begin his fast. Once refused, he was brutally attacked
by the Christian group. He later fled to the mosque where he collapsed.

This outraged the Muslim community who retaliated by destroying almost
every shop selling alcohol. The group responsible for the killing were
later discovered seeking protection inside a church. The Muslims' plan
to exact revenge upon the group soon spiralled out of control, and the
church (the oldest in Poso) was burnt down after the group had escaped.

Around 16 months later (April 2000), abusive Christian groups came to
retaliate in much the same petty yet offensive manor as before.

May 23, 2000 saw the groups turn to extremely aggressive activity whilst
wearing black uniform, black face paint or masks and red bands referring
to themselves as the "Black Bats'. Muslim villagers were taken hostage,
tortured, killed and the bodies either thrown into the River Poso,
buried or burned.

It was apparent that the large trucks of Christian attackers were
well-trained and planned all their attacks, as they always attacked in
the dark, shortly after Maghrib or before Fajar prayers. The atrocities
were targeted at men and teenage boys, whilst their families witnessed
their murder and the looting and burning of their houses and property.

The most targeted villagers were in Sintuwulemba (9 kms from Poso)
where 100% of the population was Muslim. Almost 95% of men from this
village fled or were killed by the Christians.The traditional Islamic
Boarding school called 'Pesantren Walisongo' was in this village.

Whilst the total number of Muslim killed is around 2.000 only 20% have
actually been found. In Tentena (South of Poso) as center of Christian
activities and missionaries, the Muslim there are no longer exist . The
exact number of missing persons and their whereabouts remains unknown.
It is assumed that the victims were taken to the deepest valley and
thrown into the lake. The Azan is no longer heard, the mosques, Islamic
schools burnt flat to the ground. Whoever pass their area they stop,
kill and burn the vehicles.

Total refugees are about 58.775people, 3622 houses were burned and 635
destroyed, mosques and churchs, shops, restaurants, vehicles, garrages,
supermarket were all destroyed and burned.


The current situation is that Poso city is not safe though the army and
police are there to control. However, the Christian are are still
trying to enter Poso in many crafty ways and pretend they want peace and
reconciliation while sporadic attacks and killings continue.