Blowing in the wind<\/p>\n
How many deaths will it take till he knows, that too many
\npeople have died.<\/p>\n
This line from Bob Dylan's popular song Blowin' in the Wind
\naptly describes the question that many people in this country,
\nand probably the rest of the world too, are asking today: How
\nmany more deaths will it take till the government of President
\nAbdurrahman Wahid realizes that too many people have died in the
\nsectarian conflict in Maluku, which is now in its 12th month.<\/p>\n
By Wednesday afternoon, more than 63 people had been
\nslaughtered in four days of carnage, which broke out after a
\npeaceful Christmas, on the main central island of Ambon.
\nElsewhere in the province, dozens more have been killed on
\nneighboring Halmahera and Buru islands in recent weeks. In all,
\nmore than 850 people must have died in the province since the
\nstrife between Muslims and Christians erupted in January. At this
\nrate, the death toll could exceed 1,000 in a matter of a week or
\nso.<\/p>\n
What has President Abdurrahman done in trying to stop the
\nbloodbath? Zilch. He and Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri
\nvisited strife-torn Ambon on Dec. 12 and made a passionate plea
\nto both Muslims and Christians to stop killing one another. But
\nbeyond this appeal, they did nothing. Abdurrahman even went as
\nfar as telling them that there was little his administration
\ncould do other than to encourage them to work towards peace; and
\nthat ultimately, it is up to the people of Maluku to resolve the
\nconflict for themselves.<\/p>\n
Are we to understand the government is completely powerless in
\nstopping the carnage? Will the rest of the nation simply sit and
\nwatch as the horrifying tragedy unfolds before their eyes?
\nClearly, the government's hands-off policy, which may have had
\nits merits when the conflict began nearly a year ago, is no
\nlonger tenable because the conflict has escalated to such an
\nalarming level.<\/p>\n
Since every single truce agreement has been broken in a matter
\nof days of being signed, it must be obvious by now that the two
\ncommunities can no longer be expected to resolve the conflict by
\nthemselves. The conflict has reached a new dangerous height,
\nbordering on a full-scale war, which if it happens, could easily
\nspread beyond Maluku's borders.<\/p>\n
The government's laid-back attitude, or its lack of
\ndecisiveness, has contributed to the escalation of the violence
\nin recent weeks. But the military and the police must take the
\nlarger share of the blame. They have failed in the job they were
\nentrusted with: to protect lives and property. They have failed
\nthe people of Maluku, and they have failed the nation. The
\nIndonesian Communion of Churches (PGI)'s appeal for an
\ninternational peacekeeping intervention in Maluku may be
\ndiplomatically impossible at this stage, but it reflects the
\ngrowing frustration many people in Indonesia feel at the failure
\nof the security authorities in carrying out their job.<\/p>\n
The situation in Maluku, however, has gone beyond looking for
\nculprits to blame, although the military and the police will
\nstill have to account for their failures. Indeed, the situation
\ncalls for decisive intervention to stop the senseless killings.
\nThat intervention can only come from President Abdurrahman. If
\nanyone has the authority and influence to appeal to the two sides
\nto stop the killing, it is the President, who is popular with
\nboth Muslims and non-Muslims. The Muslim cleric made such a good
\nimpression when he celebrated Christmas with Christians in
\nJakarta on Monday, one wonders why he has not used his charisma
\nto prevail over the two conflicting communities in Maluku.<\/p>\n
A desperate situation calls for desperate measures, and the
\ngovernment cannot rule out imposing a state of emergency in
\nMaluku. But with the military and police widely discredited and
\nmistrusted by both camps, any declaration of martial law must be
\npersonally conveyed by the President himself.<\/p>\n
The government must also look into various options to restore
\npeace and order. One proposal calls for segregation of the two
\ncommunities, who, given the blood they have spilled, could not be
\nexpected to coexist peacefully in the short term. Another
\nproposal calls for the abolition of the local administration
\nstructures and restore the rajas, the traditional village heads.
\nWhatever decisions or measures the government comes up with to
\nrestore peace and order, one thing for sure is that they must
\nhave a stamp of approval from the President if they are to have
\nany influence or impact at all.<\/p>\n
Several options are at Abdurrahman's disposal, but one wonders
\nwhether he is aware of the gravity of the situation in Maluku,
\nand perhaps more importantly, whether he is aware of the high
\nexpectations that many people place on him to act. Why has he not
\ndone so? Going by the title of Dylan's song, the answer is
\nprobably still blowing in the wind.<\/p>",
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