Executions spark Indonesia riots
By Christopher Tan,WNS Indonesia Correspondent
SULAWESI - Thousands of protesters took to the streets of eastern Indonesia after three Christian militants were executed in religiously divided Sulawesi. Protesters torched cars, looted shops and set prisoners free from a jail. But Palu, where the executions took place, remained calm. Mourners attended church services to pray for the men. The three men - Fabianus Tibo, Marianus Riwu and Dominggus Silva - were taken before the firing squad before dawn on Friday morning, according to police officers. The bodies of Tibo and Riwu were then flown to their home towns, while Silva was buried in Palu, the provincial capital.
The men were convicted of masterminding attacks on Muslims in central Sulawesi in 2000 that killed at least 70 people. A spokesman for the Vatican, which had appealed for clemency, described the executions as a defeat for humanity.The human rights organisation Amnesty International also expressed disappointment.
The attacks the three men were accused of instigating, in Poso, was part of a wave of violence triggered by a brawl between Christian and Muslim gangs in December 1998. The violence left more than 1,000 people dead. The two sides signed a peace deal in 2002, but there have been sporadic incidents since.
posted by wnsworld @ 5:10 PM
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