Govt still searching for ways to end strife in Ambon<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
After meeting with local leaders on Friday, the Indonesian
\ngovernment has decided to modify its efforts to broker an end to
\nthe inter-religious fighting in Maluku province which has claimed
\nthousands of lives.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
\nSusilo and Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla
\ntold reporters after the meeting that the government will press
\non with plans to unify leaders of the combatants -- Muslims on
\nthe one side; Christians on the other.<\/p>\n
\"Reconciliation becomes primary target ... bringing them
\ntogether serves as an important effort to this end,\" Susilo said.<\/p>\n
Initially, the government had planned to apply in Maluku a
\npeace agreement identical to the one it had used to end clashes
\nbetween Christians and Muslims in Poso, Central Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
The first initiative began with a reconciliation meeting in
\nMalino, South Sulawesi, by bringing leaders of the warring
\nfactions together.<\/p>\n
After meeting with local leaders from Maluku, however, the
\ngovernment concluded it is clear that the situation there was far
\nmore complex than that in South Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
\"Of course, the situation in Maluku is different from Poso,\"
\nSusilo added; government officials, he noted, will visit Maluku
\nagain before the end of the month to begin formulating another
\nkind of peace plan.<\/p>\n
Officials from the central government have scheduled their
\nnext visit to Maluku from Jan. 20 through Jan. 23.<\/p>\n
Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno, Attorney General MA
\nRahman, Maluku governor Saleh Latuconsina, Maluku Police Chief
\nInsp. Gen. Farouk Mohammad, and Pattimura (Maluku) Military
\ncommander Brig. Gen. Mustopo also attended the meeting.<\/p>\n
In the conference, the officials evaluated the 18-month-long
\nstate of civilian emergency in the region, as well as the peace
\nplan to end inter-religious conflict.<\/p>\n
The prolonged conflict in Maluku has claimed more than 9,000
\nlives since it first began on Jan 19, 1999, while hundreds of
\nthousands of others have been displaced, many to refugee camps.<\/p>\n
In an effort to curb the conflict, Jakarta imposed a civilian
\nstate of civilian emergency in April 2000, which still remains in
\neffect today.<\/p>\n
Governor Saleh told reporters that the opposing camps had all
\nbut completely stopped attacking each other. Acts of terror by
\nunidentified elements, however, continue to grip the province.<\/p>\n
\"I guess there is a group of people who do not want to see
\npeace in Maluku; these people, for the sake of their own
\ninterest, antagonize the two warring groups,\" Saleh said,
\nreferring to a recent explosion on board the California boat.<\/p>\n
\"I think they like to keep the conflict alive so that they can
\nbenefit from it,\" Saleh said, adding that police officials are
\ninvestigating these unidentified groups.<\/p>\n
Maluku Police Chief Farouk Mohammad added that the prolonged
\nreligious-based conflicts had created \"a new field\" for
\n\"opportunists\" to reap economic profit in the trade of weapons
\nand drugs.<\/p>\n
Farouk, however, declined to reveal the police's investigation
\nresults so far, saying it was not yet complete.<\/p>\n
Asked as whether the group had political motives, Farouk
\nreplied: \"Thus far, we don't see it.\"<\/p>\n
Analysts from some corners, however, have accused the security
\nforces of being complicit in creating chaos in Maluku.<\/p>\n
Pattimura Military chief Mustopo denied that the military was
\ninvolved in the violence.<\/p>\n
But he acknowledged that \"any element of the military may be
\ninvolved,\" in \"business interests.\"<\/p>",
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