Terrorism behind murder of Protestant pastor in Palu
Pastor Dale Morgan
18 October, 2006
INDONESIA
*Terrorism behind murder of Protestant pastor in Palu*
by Benteng Reges
National police said the murderers of Reverend Kongkoli could be linked
to a terrorist group already suspected of beheading Christian girls in
2005. This group is connected to Jemaah Islamiyah.
Palu (AsiaNewsWires) – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has
ordered security forces to thoroughly investigate the killing of a
Protestant pastor in Palu, Central Sulawesi, on 16 October. Meanwhile,
after initial investigations, police believe the perpetrators of the
crime could be members of a terrorist group already suspected of
beheading young Christian girls last year. The group is linked the
Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) network that in turn is held to be close to Al-Qaeda.
A presidential spokesman said Susilo had asked the competent authorities
to “to seriously tackle the case of Rev. Irianto Kongkoli, and to
uncover the perpetrators so that they can be brought to justice and
punished.”
The 40-year-old reverend, chairman of the Central Sulawesi Churches of
Synod (GKST), was killed by a bullet in the nape of his neck on Monday
as he stood at the entrance of a shop in Palu. Tension has gripped the
city since the execution of three Catholics on 22 September for their
alleged role in bloody sectarian clashes that took place in 2000 in
Poso, in the same province.
Yesterday, the national police chief General Sutanto said interrogation
of witnesses and investigations into the crime were still under way.
Police spokesman, Bambang Kuncoko, said that based on how the murder was
carried out, "we suspect the killers are from the same group that has
carried out recent bombings and mutilations" in the area. He was
referring to the beheading of Christian girls and a series of low-level
bombings last year. According to what journalists were told later in the
day, the police believe the group of Hasanuddin could be involved.
Hasanuddin is currently detained in Jakarta for the beheading of the
young Christian students. He is known to be a member of JI, a terror
network operative in South-east Asia.
The police of Central Sulawesi speculated that the motive for the murder
could be to ignite religious sentiments in the province in order to
create tension between Muslim and Christian communities. From 1999 to
2001, interfaith violence claimed more than 2,000 lives in Poso and Palu.
Meanwhile, several local churches flew their flags at half-mast in a
show of mourning. Rev. Kongkoli will be buried this afternoon or at the
latest, tomorrow, 19 October, in a Christian cemetery in the Talise
subdistrict, Palu.