Indonesia has sent two thousand police and troops into the western island province of Sulawesi, to prevent violence between Muslims and Christians. At least 10 people have died in two separate attacks on four mainly Christian villages in Poso, Central Sulawesi.

Hundreds of terrified villagers who fled the attacks by masked men are reported to be slowly returning home.

Presenter/Interviewer: Kanaha Sabapathy

Speakers: Johan Kieft, Care Indonesia's program leader for disaster management; Jesuit Father Franz Magnis Suseno.

Sabapathy: Communal violence is not new in Poso ... in fact in 2000 when the Malukus and Sulawesi were engulfed in Muslim Christian violence, some thousand lives were lost in Poso itself. It's no wonder therefore that this time round the Indonesian authorities acted immediately ... sending in some 2,500 police and troops to stem any new flare-up of sectarian violence. But to date neither the police nor the military know who were behind the attacks ... and according to Jesuit father Franz Magnis Suseno it's still all speculation.

Franz: The Christian community does not believe that the local Muslim community is involved in this clash. No, I think they believe these are what we call in Indonesia provocateurs, which have their special interests.

Sabapathy: In December 2001 a government brokered peace pact was reached between the two communities. And according to Johan Kieft, Care Indonesia's program leader for disaster management the two communities have since been working out their differences and co-existing in peace.

Kieft: Based on our experiences in the field actually conditions have improved significantly over the last six months. Christians and Muslims are working well together. There have been some small incidents like by mid-2002, but particularly since September, October last year we have recorded no incidents whatsoever, and we've been able to progress our work very progressively.

Sabapathy: Top government officials including security minister Susilo Bambang Yudohyono believe this time round the attacks were initiated not from within the communities but by outsiders. Could it be Islamic militants? Unlike the Malukus where sectarian conflict was fanned by the militant Muslim group the Laskhar Jihad, the conflict in Sulawesi was the result of economic and political tensions. Laskhar Jihad was disbanded just hours before the Bali bombings on October 12th last year. But since then the al-Qaeda linked Jemaah Islamiah is spearheading Islamic militancy. According to a report by the International Crisis Group, Poso has been eyed by the JI as a potential training ground. Last April twelve JI members and associates were arrested in the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu. Others like Father Franz however ask if the conflict is linked to the military and its withdrawal from Poso just a few months ago.

Franz: One and a half years ago after the Maleno Two Agreement on Ambon you had in April last year some very bad attacks against Christian targets, later it came out that these attacks were done by a group of young gangsters led by a certain Berti who is a Christian but was under the guidance of the Kompassus. So it came from Kompassus but they wanted to make the impression that it came from Laskar Jihad at that time. We in Jakarta are wondering why things like in Poso now always happen after the military is pulled out?

Sabapathy: While the hunt for the attackers continue, Johan Kieft says the recent incidents are a setback to what have been achieved so far.

Kieft: It was very peaceful, things worked very well. Poso town has really come to life, the economy it's really picked up, people are doing well and the government has put all efforts and very supportive of all peace activities.

Sabapathy: And since the incident what's the situation like?

Kieft: Things have been going back to normal, it hasn't led to any fighting between Christians and Muslims at a wider scale.