Blasts, gunshots rock Ambon after ministers leave<\/p>\n
Oktovianus Pinantoan
\nThe Jakarta Post
\nAmbon<\/p>\n
Bomb blasts and gunfire rang out in the eastern city of Ambon
\nin the volatile Maluku Islands on Saturday, just hours after two
\nsenior ministers left to negotiate with leaders of warring gangs
\nthere as part of the government's peace plan.<\/p>\n
The blasts and gunshots were heard on Saturday night and early
\nSunday in several areas, including Kebon Cengkeh, Karang Panjang,
\nBatumerah, and Mardika.<\/p>\n
Explosions from home-made bombs were heard twice, local
\nmilitary officers said, but added that at least five shots were
\nfired from several undetected locations.<\/p>\n
Local troops later returned fire in the areas where the
\nshootings took place. No casualties were reported.<\/p>\n
The episode took place only hours after Coordinating Minister
\nfor Political Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf
\nKalla, and National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar concluded a
\none-day visit to assess peace efforts in the city.<\/p>\n
Both ministers held separate talks with Muslim and Christian
\nleaders on Saturday to promote peace while reviewing the state of
\nemergency in the Maluku and North Maluku provinces, and to see
\nwhether current steps toward peace are being properly instated.<\/p>\n
Local residents said that the latest incidents of violence
\nwere clearly aimed at foiling the peace efforts being made
\nSusilo, Kalla and Da'i in Ambon, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
Susilo's high-profile entourage also included Indonesian
\nMilitary Chief of General Affairs Lt. Gen. Djamari Chaniago and
\nother senior military and police officers.<\/p>\n
Susilo said on Saturday that the two warring groups in Maluku
\nhave shown the ability and desire to reconcile, despite their
\nbasic differences on certain points; he was quick to add that he
\nwas sure their differences would soon be solved.<\/p>\n
Before flying home to Jakarta on Sunday after making a visit
\nto the North Maluku capital of Ternate, he said the government
\nwill decide in one week whether to revoke the state of civil
\nemergency in the province.<\/p>\n
Susilo said that the government was committed to fostering
\npeace in the Maluku islands, and was capable of doing so, as it
\nhad identified most of the common obstacles.<\/p>\n
A special team consisting of ministers, security officers, and
\nlocal government officials has been set up to draft definitive
\naction plans for talks between leading figures of the rival
\nfactions, he said.<\/p>\n
\"We hope that between six and nine months from now, the peace
\nprocess will be finalized.\"<\/p>\n
Djamari, meanwhile, said that on Saturday, military officials
\nmade it clear that they would have no objection to withdrawing
\nsoldiers from both Maluku and North Maluku.<\/p>\n
\"I am not talking about three battalions;\" the withdrawal of
\nall troops from Maluku \"would be no problem for us -- but please
\nremember that the military is a part of the nation, and it cannot
\nmake the decision on its own,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The general was asked if the military would heed local
\nexpectations to reduce its 17 battalions stationed in the two
\nprovinces by three.<\/p>\n
\"We are here, not because we want to be, but because it is the
\ngovernment's political decision,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The troops were sent to Maluku soon after the three-year
\nChristian-Muslim conflict grew out of control, first in Ambon,
\nbefore spreading to the northern part of Maluku.<\/p>\n
Some members of society think that the military presence in
\nthe provinces has worsened the conflict instead of improving the
\nsituation, Antara reported.<\/p>\n
Djamari said that such views were misleading.<\/p>\n
But he added that criticism of the military was not a problem
\nfor the TNI, because the institution has recognized that the
\nimportance of its mission was not always compatible with the
\nimmediate desires of local people.<\/p>\n
Fighting between Muslims and Christians in Ambon first erupted
\non Jan. 19, 1999, and then spread to neighboring North Maluku.
\nMore than 6,000 people have died so far.<\/p>\n
Attempts to persuade the feuding parties lay down their
\nweapons have been taken a number of times before without much
\nsuccess.<\/p>\n
Jusuf Kalla, meanwhile, said that funding was not an issue, as
\nthe government had made budgetary allocations for a number of
\ntrouble spots around the country.<\/p>\n
More important was the willingness of the warring parties to
\nsit down and talk, he said.<\/p>\n
Asked about the Rp 200 billion (roughly US$20 million) budget
\nagreed upon by the House of Representatives and the government to
\ngo toward peace efforts in Maluku, he said that the full sum has
\nyet to be finalized.<\/p>\n
The Rp 200 billion is part of a total Rp 5.5 trillion
\nearmarked for areas of unrest around the country.<\/p>\n
When asked whether there were plans to send public figures
\nfrom Maluku to Poso in Central Sulawesi -- which has also been
\nhit by a three-year religious war -- Kalla said that the pattern
\nof the resolution did not have to be the same in the two regions.<\/p>\n
Leaders of both camps in Poso both signed a government-
\nsponsored truce on Dec. 20 in the mountain resort of Malino in
\nSouth Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot impose the same truce on the two regions; there are
\nfundamental differences between the two,\" he said.<\/p>",
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