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Operation Tinombala to adopt softer approach in hunt for Poso terrorists
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Central Sulawesi Police chief and Operation Tinombala task force chief Brig. Gen. Rudy Sufahriadi speaks to journalists after a meeting with the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) at the Central Sulawesi Police headquarters on Aug. 23. (JP/Ruslan Sangadji)
T
he National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the Operation Tinombala task force have agreed to adopt a softer approach in the pursuit of the remaining members of the East Indonesia Mujahidin (MIT) terrorist group still hiding in the forests of Poso in Central Sulawesi.
Operation Tinombala task force, Komnas HAM, humanitarian civil society organization Medical Emergency Rescue Committee (MER-C) and local representatives held a meeting at the Central Sulawesi Police headquarters on Tuesday discussing the management of Poso amid the ongoing Operation Tinombala.
"We need to build a persuasive formula and take a softer approach in the arrest of the members," Komnas HAM commissioner Siane Indiraini said after the meeting referring to the 14 MIT members believed to still be hiding in the forests.
She also urged the task force to treat the Poso terrorist suspects humanely so as to uphold human rights.
The meeting was held to build the same perspective on the management of Poso to create a peaceful Central Sulawesi, task force chief Brig. Gen. Rudy Sufahriadi said. The security personnel have urged the remaining members of the MIT to give themselves up to the authorities following the shoot-out that left the group's leader Santoso aka Abu Wardah dead in mid-July.
"The operation will continue and we will let the wanted men surrender and we will facilitate them [in doing so]," said Rudy who is also Central Sulawesi Police chief.
Poso has been home to Operation Tinombala since January. It is the largest joint operation between the police and Indonesian Military (TNI) with more than 3,000 personnel aimed at taking down the MIT terrorist group hiding in the mountainous forests of Poso. (rin)
