Govt urged to solve Maluku clashes<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives rebuked the
\ngovernment on Tuesday for failing to take concrete measures to
\nstop violence in Maluku, which it says seems to be taking a
\nbackseat to a resolution of separatist sentiments in Aceh.<\/p>\n
House Speaker Akbar Tandjung in particularly referred to Vice
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri, whose responsibility is to
\nresolve communal clashes in Maluku and human rights problems in
\nthe easternmost province of Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
"We call on Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, whose
\nresponsibilities are to solve problems in Irian Jaya and Ambon,
\nto seriously handle them," he said, adding that the problems get
\nworse by the day.<\/p>\n
"So far the House has not seen any measure taken by the
\ngovernment", Akbar told journalists after a meeting with House
\ndeputy speakers.<\/p>\n
He said the government must be responsive in resolving the
\nproblems and that Megawati's plan to visit Ambon must be carried
\nout as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
Over 500 people have died in Maluku this year due to ethnic
\nand religious clashes which have spread throughout the province.
\nSecurity officers have been inexplicably helpless in many cases,
\nraising concerns that they may be taking sides in some incidents.<\/p>\n
Both Akbar and Deputy Speaker A.M. Fatwa both lamented that
\nissues such as Maluku and Irian Jaya seemed to be taking a
\nbackseat to Aceh.<\/p>\n
Thus Megawati's visit to the restive province of Maluku must
\ncoincide with President Abdurrahman's trip to Aceh.<\/p>\n
"Megawati's visit to Ambon should be conducted at the same
\ntime as Gus Dur's (President Abdurrahman's nickname) plan to
\nvisit Aceh to listen to people's aspirations to avoid any
\nassumptions that Ambon's clashes are secondary to Aceh's", Akbar
\nasserted.<\/p>\n
While no fixed date has been set for Abdurrahman's visit, he
\nis expected to go to Aceh in the middle of next week.<\/p>\n
"The government should have a sense of crisis and a sense of
\nurgency," the House speaker charged. "Both problems, Aceh and
\nAmbon, need urgent attention."<\/p>\n
After meeting with 13 members of the Coordinating Forum of
\nRefugee Victims of the Ambon Clashes (FKPKKA), A.M. Fatwa
\nsaid here on Tuesday that the government was slow in handling the
\nAmbon case.<\/p>\n
"The clashes were temporarily forgotten due to the Aceh case,
\nwhich was considered more urgent," he said while noting that as
\nattention focused on Aceh, communal clashes spread to the areas
\nof Tual and North Maluku.<\/p>\n
He lamented the wide impact of the clashes affecting all
\nsectors of life in many parts of Indonesia's eastern half.<\/p>\n
"Ambonese refugees on Buton island, Southeast Sulawesi, alone
\nhave reached over 82,000 with no sufficient food supply and
\nhousing facilities," Fatwa said.<\/p>\n
He decried the government's failure to provide basic services
\nfrom the Ministry of Social Affairs as could be seen in the cut
\nin food aid to several refugee camps.<\/p>\n
Fatwa also called on the government to take stern measures to
\novercome the security problems.<\/p>\n
"The government has to supervise the military and security
\npersonnel believed to be taking sides in the clashes," he added.
\n(02)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-urged-to-solve-maluku-clashes-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}