Djoko sworn in as new Pattimura Military chief<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Ambon\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto swore in on Thursday
\nMaj. Gen. Djoko Santoso as the new Pattimura Military commander,
\nreplacing Brig. Gen. Mustopo to oversee the strife-ridden islands
\nof Maluku.<\/p>\n
The former commander of the second division of the Army's
\nStrategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) will also be in charge of
\nsecurity restoration operations in the eastern island chain,
\nwhere a Christian-Muslim conflict has been raging since January
\n1999.<\/p>\n
The modest induction ceremony, held at the Pattimura Regional
\nCommand Headquarters in Ambon, was witnessed by the province's
\ncivil emergency administration head Governor Saleh Latuconsina.<\/p>\n
Djoko will be assisted by a one-star police officer as his
\ndeputy, who remained unnamed.<\/p>\n
Endriartono told the ceremony that the religious conflict in
\nMaluku that has resulted in the deaths of about 6,000 people must
\nbe put to an end soon.<\/p>\n
\"Have we all, as religious people, lost our conscience? I
\nbelieve we still have this sense. We can still differentiate
\nbetween good and bad, and feel the suffering of others as our
\nown,\" said Endriartono, who will soon be installed as the
\nIndonesian Military (TNI) Commander replacing Adm. Widodo A.S.<\/p>\n
Endriartono underlined the need for the local military to
\ncooperate with the police and other relevant parties in
\npreventing more clashes.<\/p>\n
\"Only if the law is enforced consistently we can contribute to
\nrestoring peace in Maluku,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Speaking after his induction, Djoko said he would strengthen
\ncooperation with the Maluku Police, but he did not outline his
\naction plan to end the conflict.<\/p>\n
Asked whether reinforcements were being planned for the
\ntroubled eastern province, he said: \"Not yet. We will see the
\nsituation later\".<\/p>\n
The establishment of the Maluku Security Restoration Command
\nhas sparked criticism from military and defense analysts who have
\naccused the government of \"imposing martial law by stealth\" in
\nthe restive islands.<\/p>\n
Senior government and military officials flatly denied the
\naccusation despite the fact that the move allowed the Pattimura
\nmilitary commander to take over control of day-to-day security
\nfrom the Maluku Police chief under the civil emergency
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno insisted on Thursday the
\nmilitary and police in Maluku would still be overseen by the
\ngovernor as chief of the civil emergency administration.<\/p>\n
\"Because Maluku is under civil emergency law, the military and
\npolice cannot act without the consent of the governor,\" he said
\nin Jakarta.<\/p>\n
TNI Commander Adm. Widodo A.S. echoed Hari's words, saying:
\n\"The structure of the security restoration command is entirely
\nwithin the authority of the civil emergency administration\".<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/djoko-sworn-in-as-new-pattimura-military-chief-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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