Indonesia: May 6, 2002

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The Islamic radicals, at least those in the Malukus, have apparently gone too far in their threats of violence. The government ordered the police to arrest the leader of the Islamic radicals in the Malukus on May 4th. The charge is incitement to violence that led to the death of 13 Christians in the Malukus. The evidence is a tape of a speech by the leader, Jaffar Umar Thalib. He was taken into custody yesterday and is undergoing interrogation. The army and police were hesitant to make the arrest, fearing greater violence. But this did not occur, which may mean further arrests of Islamic radical leaders.