Decisive action desperately needed on Malukus<\/p>\n
By Lee Kim Chew<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE: Desperate for help, Christians in the Malukus had
\nfor months appealed to the Indonesian government to allow foreign
\nintervention to stop the sectarian conflict, but no one in
\nJakarta heeded them.<\/p>\n
Now that President Abdurrahman Wahid has changed tack and is
\nwilling to ask for \"international help in the form of equipment
\nand logistics\", this could be a first critical step to end the
\nfratricidal war between Muslims and Christians in the Spice
\nIslands.<\/p>\n
The immediate task must be to stop the tit-for-tat killings,
\nbut this can happen only if the President shows political will.
\nAn option open to him is declaring martial law in the Malukus.<\/p>\n
Up till now, he has given hostage to fortune. He had believed,
\nmistakenly, that since it is a local conflict, it is best for the
\ntwo feuding communities to be left on their own to sort out their
\nproblems.<\/p>\n
But the situation had deteriorated in recent months because of
\nhis half-hearted approach. The sectarian violence, which has
\nspiraled out of control, has turned the Malukus into a cauldron
\nof conflict.<\/p>\n
It is a perfect situation for mischief-makers to undermine his
\nrule. The unrest in the Malukus is an extension of the
\npoliticking in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Up till now, rogue elements have had virtually a free hand to
\nstoke religious passions and add fuel to fire because the
\nbesieged government seems helpless.<\/p>\n
Clearly, the worsening strife -- at last count, 4,000 dead in
\nthe past 18 months -- suggests that President Abdurrahman has not
\ndone enough to end the carnage.<\/p>\n
He has changed the province's 4 military command and sent in
\nfresh troop reinforcement but, sadly, these have proved to be
\nwoefully inadequate. Worse, some of the troops and police have
\ntaken sides in the fighting.<\/p>\n
This strengthens the case for bringing in foreign troops under
\nthe United Nations, but this is suicidal politically for an
\nembattled president who has to account for his rule next month in
\nthe People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), the country's highest
\nlegislative body. To invite UN peacekeepers into the Malukus will
\ninternationalize what is essentially a domestic conflict. It will
\nbe the clearest admission he has neither a resolute policy nor
\nthe ability to end the fighting.<\/p>\n
It is pointless to talk about Australia leading a UN force
\ninto the Malukus, as US Defense Secretary William Cohen had
\nsuggested.<\/p>\n
This is not a good idea, given the bad blood between Jakarta
\nand Canberra over the Australian role in East Timor's
\nindependence.<\/p>\n
The Indonesians are still sensitive and suspicious of
\nAustralian motives, no matter how well-intentioned.<\/p>\n
Whatever it takes, the pressure is on President Abdurrahman to
\ndo something and do it quickly -- with foreign logistical help.<\/p>\n
Friendly countries could, through the UN, provide the military
\nhardware to help him keep the peace in the Malukus. But this is a
\ndangerous, double-edged sword.<\/p>\n
Can he make sure that the guns do not fall into the wrong
\nhands? Unless he can, forget about sending more arms and
\nequipment.<\/p>\n
President Abdurrahman had hoped initially that the Maluku
\nconflict would somehow peter out. It must be clear to him now
\nthat it will not.<\/p>\n
How could it, when the Indonesian military confessed it was
\npowerless to prevent the jihad (holy war) fighters from going to
\nthe Malukus to fight for the Muslim cause?<\/p>\n
They should have been stopped from going there in the first
\nplace. Instead, the navy imposed a blockade to prevent the
\nshipment of arms to the jihad fighters. This is closing the
\nstable door after the horse had bolted. One of the first things
\nthe Indonesian military has to do now is to confiscate all
\nweapons from the two warring communities.<\/p>\n
The President had underestimated the impact of the Maluku
\nconflict grossly. More than a religious strife between Christians
\nand Muslims, it also has plenty to do with their longstanding
\neconomic and political rivalries.<\/p>\n
Jakarta leaders, consumed in their own power struggles, have
\ndone precious little to bridge the sectarian divide. With the
\ncasualties mounting, reconciliation will be an extremely arduous
\ntask. The President has no choice but to find a solution to the
\nproblem. His failure to stop the conflict has ramifications well
\nbeyond the Malukus.<\/p>\n
It reinforces the perception that Indonesia is adrift and fast
\nbecoming ungovernable. The ball is now in his court to cut his
\nlosses and act tough.<\/p>\n
Although the President will be questioned closely in the MPR,
\nhe is not likely to be overthrown, at least for now.<\/p>\n
But he could emerge from it further weakened, unless he takes
\ndecisive steps to prove that he can lead.<\/p>\n
The writer is chief regional correspondent of The Straits
\nTimes.<\/p>\n
The Straits Times\/Asia News Network<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/decisive-action-desperately-needed-on-malukus-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }