Clerics say Ambon disaster provoked<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Religious leaders accused on Tuesday \"third parties\" of inciting
\nthe renewed violence in Ambon, Maluku province, and urged police
\nto take firm action where necessary.<\/p>\n
Muslim, Protestant, Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist and Confucian
\nleaders from the Indonesian Committee for Religion and Peace said
\nthat \"provocation\" was the best explanation for the violence that
\nhad killed over 30 since Sunday.<\/p>\n
In the past few years people in Maluku have been wary of any
\nsigns of the violence that led to thousands being killed since
\n1999.<\/p>\n
After their meeting at the office of the country's second-
\nlargest Muslim organization, Muhammadiyah, which committee member
\nDin Syamsuddin leads, he said, \"We call on people to resist being
\nprovoked by third parties\" that have a \"political motive\".<\/p>\n
He said the leaders demanded that the police and intelligence
\nbodies identify and seek the perpetrators, \"who do not want peace
\nin Maluku\".<\/p>\n
Chairman of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) Nathan
\nSetiabudi said the leaders did not believe that the violence over
\nthe past few days was a religious conflict.<\/p>\n
\"We don't believe that the burning of the Muhammadiyah high
\nschool building in Ambon was committed by Christians. If we find
\nthat it was we shall hand them over to the police,\" Nathan said.<\/p>\n
Sigit Pamudji of the Bishops Council of Indonesia (KWI) also
\nsaid that, based on experience, \"certain parties\" had tried to
\ncreate the image that people in Maluku could not solve their own
\nproblems, and provoked the conflict for their own benefit.<\/p>\n
\"We suggest local leaders be more proactive in solving the
\nconflict peacefully,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Sociologist Thamrin Amal Tamagola said the clash, which
\nstarted on Sunday, was the culmination of several problems.<\/p>\n
The trigger was not the hoisting of the flag of the separatist
\nRepublic of South Maluku (RMS) movement, he said, but because
\n\"the police were not professional when they guarded the
\nseparatists during the rally as they celebrated the RMS
\nanniversary in Ambon's main street,\" adding that initially the
\nclash was not between Christians and Muslims.<\/p>\n
Some Muslims were irked by the police guarding the rally of
\nRMS supporters, who were mostly Christian, confirming earlier
\nsuspicions that the police, particularly those from Ambon and
\nSeram islands, sided with Christians, he said.<\/p>\n
Thamrin suggested that police from other ethnic groups be sent
\nwith riot control capabilities. \"Don't send soldiers; that would
\nruin everything,\" he asserted.<\/p>\n
Another problem, he said, was that Jakarta had neglected to
\nfollow up the government-sponsored truce in February 2002.<\/p>\n
Thamrin called on the government to improve conditions in
\nMaluku, where survivors were trying to return to normality.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives (DPR) has sent a team
\nto get first-hand information on the conflict in Ambon.<\/p>\n
Other parties, including House Speaker Akbar Tandjung, also
\nblamed the police and other security personnel for their failure
\nto control the situation.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/clerics-say-ambon-disaster-provoked-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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