Get outside help<\/p>\n
The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) is not
\nthe first organization to appeal to the government to seek
\noutside help in ending the bloody sectarian conflict in Maluku.
\nGiven its strong reputation in mediation efforts as well as its
\nneutrality in the conflict, however, its appeal on Wednesday
\nshould be given serious consideration.<\/p>\n
The appeal -- for the government to seek help from neighboring
\ncountries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
\n-- came after thorough consideration. It was based on Komnas
\nHAM's findings through its lengthy involvement in the search for
\na solution to the Maluku conflict, which erupted in January 1999.<\/p>\n
The commission says that the police and military can no longer
\nbe expected to restore peace and order in Maluku by themselves.
\nThey are seen by the Muslim and Christian camps as being less
\nthen neutral. This accusation of partiality goes to the heart of
\nthe integrity of the police and the military.<\/p>\n
Irrespective of whether the accusation is right or wrong, such
\na perception has made it next to impossible for the police and
\nthe military to carry out their tasks. The first rule in any
\nmediation effort is to win the trust of the warring parties, and,
\nby the looks of it, the police and the military have broken it.<\/p>\n
Komnas HAM argues that it would be better for the government
\nto ask for help from ASEAN countries before an international
\npeacekeeping force is imposed upon the country. It proposed the
\nsending of an ASEAN force because it would be more likely to be
\naccepted by the people of Indonesia, including those in Maluku,
\nthan if they were from Western states, including Australia.<\/p>\n
Since Komnas HAM's appeal is not laden with the inevitable
\nemotion which has accompanied similar calls by church
\norganizations in Maluku and Jakarta, the government or any other
\ngroups which oppose the idea of seeking outside help should look
\ninto it equally without emotion. That is the very least they
\nshould do before rejecting the commission's proposal out of hand.<\/p>\n
Earlier appeals by local churches not unexpectedly found
\nsupport from international church organizations, which duly
\nconveyed them to the United Nations. Not surprisingly, the
\ngesture provoked criticism from Muslim groups in Indonesia with
\naccusations that the churches were trying to internationalize the
\nconflict by seeking foreign intervention.<\/p>\n
Swift rejections also came from the government, the police and
\nthe military, and most political parties. They all insisted that
\nIndonesia could and must resolve the problem on its own. Citing
\nnational pride, they consider outside intervention to be a
\ntrampling of Indonesia's sovereignty. After the bitter experience
\nwith East Timor last year, many people in this country are not
\nprepared to face another international humiliation over Maluku.<\/p>\n
At this late stage of the conflict, when just about every
\neffort has been made, we must look at the situation in Maluku
\nmore objectively than we have in the past, and honestly ask
\nourselves: Can we really solve the problem without outside help?<\/p>\n
The war in Maluku has gone on for too long with no clear sign
\nof when it will end, not even after the government declared a
\nstate of civil emergency in the area last month. Too many lives
\nhave been lost or shattered in this senseless conflict. How many
\nmore thousands of people must die and how many more hundreds of
\nthousands of people must flee before the nation takes a decisive
\nstep to end the violence there?<\/p>\n
As controversial as Komnas HAM's proposal may sound, it has
\ngiven the nation some food for thought in its search for a speedy
\nresolution to the conflict in Maluku. It is time that we all look
\nat the Maluku problem less emotionally and more passionately.<\/p>\n
It is also time that we reassess our sense of national pride,
\nbecause there is nothing left to be proud of if we, as a nation,
\nfail to act to protect the lives and property of our fellow
\ncountrymen and countrywomen. If seeking outside help means saving
\ntheir lives, then we should not hesitate to do so.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/get-outside-help-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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