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Christian couple shot at in Sulawesi
Asia News ^ | 11-21-05 | Benteng Reges

Posted on 11/21/2005 11:35:05 PM PST by RKBA Democrat

The couple was leaving a religious function in Palu; they are now in hospital in critical condition. A policeman has been arrested, prime suspect in the machete killing of a 22-year-old girl on Friday, in the same area. According to national police, the spiraling violence is “orchestrated” by a “mafia” based either in Jakarta or in central Sulawesi.

Palu (AsiaNews) – Violence continues in Palu, the capital of the Indonesian province of central Sulawesi. This time, the victims were a Christian couple who were leaving a religious function in east Palu on Saturday (19 November). Meanwhile, the national police have issued a statement claiming that violence in Sulawesi is “orchestrated” by a mafia whose origins are not quite clear yet.

Armed men on a motorcycle shot at Pudji Laksono and his wife Novlin. Laksono, a local university lecturer of Javanese origin, was shot in the back and his wife in the chest. The Christian couple is currently in the central hospital of Palu, where they are under strict surveillance. Their condition is critical, so much so that they could not respond to questions posed by police.

Saturday’s attack came a day after the killing – also in Palu – of a 22-year-old girl who was in the centre with her friends. The girl was wounded in the neck by a machete; she died, while her friend – who was unharmed – tried to take her to hospital. Over the weekend, the Palu security forces announced the arrest of a policeman, held to be Yanti’s assassin: only his initials, WN, are known. The police internal affairs division arrested him after they found traces of blood on his vehicle.

The political authorities of Palu have condemned the recent wave of attacks: Andi Mulhanan Tombolotutu, of the local council of Palu, said criminals were directing their actions in other areas after failing to re-ignite inter-faith conflict in Poso. According to a press statement signed by the head of the national police, General Sutanto, the attacks in the zone were “orchestrated by an organized mafia”. The head of police did not clarify whether the group hailed from Jakarta or from Sulawesi, The statement, read today in parliament during a meeting behind closed doors with Commission III – which tackles security problems – said the criminals have moved towards Palu because of the widespread presence of the forces of order in Poso.

At first, the recent escalation of violence in central Sulawesi targeted Poso, where three Christian girls were beheaded on 29 October. The Indonesian police were harshly criticized for their handling of the investigation; they confirmed the arrest of three suspects on 18 November, held to be responsible for the triple homicide, however they only released one name, that of 23-year-old Irfan Masuro, who works in the security section of the Poso central hospital. The police said they are investigating his possible involvement in the Sudarmanto case and that of a woman called Luisana, who allegedly helped Irfan to hide the murder weapon.

Poso has been the battleground of a bloody conflict between Christians and Muslims, which claimed more than 1000 lives between 2000 and 2001.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: christianpersecution; palu

1 posted on 11/21/2005 11:35:06 PM PST by RKBA Democrat
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To: RKBA Democrat
According to national police, the spiraling violence is “orchestrated” by a “mafia”

Is "mafia" a new term used to describe muslim fanatics?

2 posted on 11/21/2005 11:40:54 PM PST by taxesareforever (Government is running amuck)
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To: All

ON THE NET...

http://www.persecution.org
http://www.assistnews.net


3 posted on 11/22/2005 12:02:41 AM PST by Cindy
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To: taxesareforever

One would think that an organization called a mafia would be profit motivated, and I don't see what possible profit there would be in shooting a pair of Christian Missionaries.
No, I think the police chief just wants to avoid looking around his mosque for suspects, either for fear or because he is a sympathizer or worse.


4 posted on 11/22/2005 12:09:46 AM PST by magslinger (At the end of the day the only truly educated people are autodidacts.)
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To: magslinger
Pudji Laksono and his wife Novlin. Laksono, a local university lecturer of Javanese origin,

Why do you think they are missionaries? Java is the main province of Indonesia and the name of these people are definitely Indonesian. Instead of thinking these are foreigners working in Indonesia, I suspect they are people whose family originated in Java but for some reason have moved to Sulawesi. There aren't enough clues in the article for me to determine when that move occurred, it could have been several generations ago, nor what the man's teaching specialty is. There are many Christians in Indonesia in all types of professions, many more than the official figures.

5 posted on 11/22/2005 1:22:13 AM PST by Jemian (Message to Murtha: ONLY COWARDS CUT AND RUN.)
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To: RKBA Democrat
The girl was wounded in the neck by a machete; she died, while her friend – who was unharmed – tried to take her to hospital.

AND the first hospital refused to take her in and the friend had to take her to a second hospital...but she bled to death.

6 posted on 11/22/2005 1:40:59 AM PST by highlander_UW (I don't know what my future holds, but I know Who holds my future)
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To: taxesareforever
Normally, because of differences in word use between American english speakers and english-as-a-second-lanuguage speakers from different parts of the world, I would have interpreted "mafia" in this article as "ongoing conspiracy to commit criminal acts."

However, this sentence makes me think that the police are reluctant to name the likely source of the attacks (all on Christians) as being motivated by Islamic extremism:

"Meanwhile, the national police have issued a statement claiming that violence in Sulawesi is “orchestrated” by a mafia whose origins are not quite clear yet."

Part of the larger "Thou-shalt-not-say-anything-critical-of fellow-Muslims-no-matter-how-despicable-or-horrific-the crimes-but-if-you-must-condemn-the-attacks-because-of-public-outrage,-blame-Israel-or-the-United-States-(or-preferably-both)"-conspiracy.

What part of three separate attacks in about as many weeks, with all Christian victims (with four dead and three seriously injured) is still causing uncertainty? Do they suspect it was purse snatching go bad? Or will they not draw any conclusion ever as to motivation despite the larger pattern of ongoing attacks on Christians in Indonesia?
7 posted on 11/22/2005 3:36:26 AM PST by Captain Rhino (If you will just abandon logic, these things will make a lot more sense!)
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To: RKBA Democrat

It's open season on jooze and crusaders in the Muslum world.


8 posted on 11/22/2005 5:04:52 AM PST by jackieaxe (English speaking, law abiding, taxpaying citizen)
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To: Jemian

My bad. I don't know what caused me to think they were missionaries.


9 posted on 11/22/2005 8:33:48 AM PST by magslinger (At the end of the day the only truly educated people are autodidacts.)
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To: Captain Rhino

go bad = gone bad.


10 posted on 11/23/2005 11:00:03 AM PST by Captain Rhino (If you will just abandon logic, these things will make a lot more sense!)
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To: RKBA Democrat

We can't blame the poor Muslim shooters.
It's the Christians' faults...everyone gets stressed in the run-up to Christmas.
(at least that's the way most Democrats/lefties would see it)


11 posted on 11/23/2005 11:05:48 AM PST by VOA
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