Jakarta (AsiaNews) – The police have identified one of the possible perpetrators of an attack on a market last week which led to eight deaths and 50 people injured. The suspect is called Mulyana and he has a Palu identity card, but he is not resident in the city. The police are tracking down another man behind the attack.

Inspector-General Paul Purwoko said the police constructed the identikit thanks to the collaboration of at least 59 eye witnesses. However Purwoko did not give further details about the two suspects or about the motive which led them to carry out the attack on the market where Christians go to shop. To resolve the problem of violence, the Indonesian government has set up a "Security Operation Command in Central Sulawesi" under the orders of Purvoko. This special task force will conduct intelligence and security operations in Palu and Poso, with a renewable three-month mandate. A total of 1,100 policemen will reach Sulawesi shortly, to join 5,000 members of the security forces already there, including 2,000 soldiers.

The decision was greeted with scepticism by many politicians, religious and civil leaders. Many noteworthy personalities, including the influential Muslim Gus Dur, hold that the special task force will be useless without the direct intervention of the president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to guarantee the independence of the commission which should throw light on those truly responsible for the conflict.

Campaigners, religious leaders and residents of the area have for some time now, denounced the shortcomings of the political and police authorities in conducting in-depth investigations about events in Central Sulawesi. Many suspect that the lack of results serves to cover up the role of the army in the conflict. Some "crazed splinter groups", acting on their own initiative, have fuelled the smouldering flames of inter-faith violence in recent years. One of three Catholics condemned to death for these clashes recently identified 16 people who were responsible, but the police have not yet made their names public.

In an interview published in the Indonesian daily, Jakarta Post, Muspani, a member of the Regional Representatives Council of Central Sulawesi, said he was convinced of the role played by some military men in provoking the conflict. Muspani, who chairs a group which has tried to collect facts from the field, reiterated that the recent violence in Sulawesi had nothing to do with religious hatred.

"The president must carefully assess the transparency of the army, police and intelligence," he said, adding that in the area "certain security personnel were apparently fulfilling a mission". There are rumours that a group of General Wiranto, former commander of the Indonesian army (TNI) has played a significant role in the unrest. "Why has the current TNI commander, General Sutarto – known to be loyal to Wiranto – not done anything to help the police to identify the names of those behind the violence?" said Muspani.

Among NGOs which have expressed their concern is the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI). Henry Simarmata, PBHI campaigner, said legal processing should conducted by civil prosecutors and judges. "The government has authorized the Security Operation Command with great powers, but the command has no authority for legal processing of suspects."

On 5 January, the Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Widodo Adi Sutjipto, told a press conference in Jakarta that the problem in Palu and Poso is quite complex, and "we're unable to deal with it using ordinary steps. We hope the Security Operation Command of Central Sulawesi will be able to resolve cases of violence in the area." Widoto released this statement after a special meeting with General Endriartono Sutarto, head of police, General Syamsir Siregar, head of Intelligence and General Mohamad Maruf, Home Affairs Minister .