Government asked to probe last week's attack in Ambon<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesia Ulemas Council (MUI) asked the
\ngovernment on Monday to probe an attack against residents of the
\nBatumerah district in Ambon, the capital of Maluku, last week
\nthat allegedly claimed the lives of 15 civilians.<\/p>\n
At a media briefing on Monday, MUI secretary-general Din
\nSyamsudin said Muslim organizations across the country condemned
\nthe attack and the government should take stern measures against
\nthe radical group that ignited the clash.<\/p>\n
\"The MUI demands an honest probe into the incident which
\noccurred between Jan. 19 and Jan. 21. Everyone involved in the
\nattack should be punished,\" Din, who was accompanied by MUI
\nchairman Amidhan, said as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
Din said the MUI suspected that the attack was conducted by
\nmembers of the Indonesian Military (TNI), stationed in the
\nrestive province.<\/p>\n
\"The MUI demands that the security officers be held
\nresponsible for the incident,\" he said.<\/p>\n
However, official reports said that last week's incident
\nhappened because the TNI had to conduct a joint operation with
\nthe police against armed rioters on the border between the Batu
\nMerah - Mardika and Pos Kota districts.<\/p>\n
No casualties were reported as a result of the incident, but
\nin previous gunfights between armed mobs and the security forces
\nthat lasted for three days, at least three people were killed and
\nscores of others injured.<\/p>\n
It was reported that the chief of the Pattimura Military
\nCommand which oversees Maluku and North Maluku provinces, Brig.
\nGen. I Made Yasa, said that a combined force swept into the Batu
\nMerah - Mardika area and managed to apprehend four rioters, while
\nmanaging to seize a revolver, a rifle, two bombs and ammunition
\nfor an M-16 rifle.<\/p>\n
Din further said that the MUI along with 33 Muslim
\norganizations had also asked the government to keep the restive
\nprovince free from foreign intervention, especially from the
\nremnants of the South Maluku separatist movement (RMS).<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, 729 residents of Kesui island in Central Maluku,
\nwho had been forcibly converted from Christianity to Islam, were
\nevacuated to Tual and Ambon on Monday in an operation led by
\nGovernor Saleh Latuconsina and Central Maluku Regent Rudolf Ruka.<\/p>\n
\"With the evacuation, there are no more Christians living in
\nKesui, but I have asked local district chiefs to keep the
\nbelongings and property of the Christians, so that when the
\nsecurity situation improves, they can return to their homes,\"
\nSaleh said on Monday.<\/p>\n
The governor added that there should be no more provocative
\nstatements from local leaders and asked everyone to make their
\nstatements based on the truth.<\/p>\n
There were a total of 764 Kesui residents, but 35 of them did
\nnot join the evacuation because five had died, 14 had escaped to
\nAmbon, five had escaped to Tual, six were hiding in the forest
\nand the other six had taken refuge with their Muslim relatives.<\/p>\n
Most of the islanders had chosen to return to Christianity
\nwhile some of them decided to stay as Muslim.<\/p>\n
Regent Rudolf Ruka said the evacuation of the Christians was
\nneeded because the government had to protect the religious rights
\nof the people as it concerned the country's image on the
\ninternational stage. (49\/dja)<\/p>",
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