Three Christians To Face Firing Squad Thursday In Indonesia For Killing Muslims
Mort Karman - All Headline News Staff Reporter Indonesia (AHN) - Three Christian men, alleged gang members, are scheduled to be executed by firing squad Thursday for their role in starting a riot which left over 1,000 people killed in 2000. Indonesian authorities say the riots erupted after a fight between rival Christian and Muslim gangs and quickly spread into a wave of violence which killed at least 70 people in the Poso district of Central Sulawesi and then spread further killing more then 1,000 people before police and army authorities were able to stop it. Fabianuu Tibo, Marinus Riwu, and Dominggus Silva had been set to face the firing squad last month but the execution was delayed after an appeal from Pope Benedict XVI after demonstrations by thousand of Indonesian Christians. Their supporters and human rights groups have questioned the trial's fairness. Indonesian officials have stationed over 4,000 extra army troops in religiously divided Sulawesi fearing possible additional Christian, Muslim clashes following the execution. "If there are unwanted actions, or actions tending toward anarchy, police will not hesitate to take repressive action," Central Suklawesi police chief Badroddin Haiti told the BBC. Attorneys for the trio told reporters the provincial prosecutor delivered a letter saying the executions would take place Thursday, or Friday at the latest. Indonesian Attorney General Abdul Rachma |
