Governor wants JAT leaders in Poso arrested

The Jakarta Post, Palu, Central Sulawesi Sat, October 27 2012,


Central Sulawesi Governor Longki Djanggola is calling for the arrest of members of the Jamaah Ansharut Tauhid (JAT) extremist group in Poso, Central Sulawesi.

“They have made my region a training base and they have also terrorized my region. I can’t let that happen. I call on the security authorities to arrest them,” he told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

The governor said that according to his information, the authorities knew that the JAT has been active in Pose, including the identity of its leaders and the whereabouts of a base camp near Tamanjeka village.

“In my opinion, they should arrest the leaders first. Then they can arrest the subordinates,” Longki said.

The region has been shaken by a string of terrorist incidents, including two explosions and the murder of two police officers in recent weeks. The officers, who were missing for a week, were reportedly killed by members of an extremist group.

National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Lt. Gen. Marciano Norman recently said he suspected that JAT was behind the violence in Poso.