Jihad Force in Maluku illegal: Juwono<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono said the
\nIndonesian Military and National Police would no longer tolerate
\nthe Jihad Force's armed activities in the country.<\/p>\n
\"We, the military and the police, will deal sternly with the
\nforce's actions,\" Juwono said on Tuesday on the sidelines of a
\nseminar on management conflict here.<\/p>\n
Juwono said he would ask the National Police chief and the
\nIndonesian Military commander to pursue stern legal action
\nagainst armed civilian forces anywhere in the country.<\/p>\n
\"No force, by any name, should be allowed to challenge the
\nauthority of the government. No armed civilian force can ever be
\nallowed to do something like that,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The minister said the military should remove armed civilians
\nfrom Maluku as quickly as possible. The presence of Jihad Force
\nvolunteers in the volatile Maluku provinces has sparked
\ncontroversy, with government officials, including Juwono,
\naccusing them of worsening the situation there.<\/p>\n
The leaders of the group have ignored calls for them to leave
\nMaluku, saying it was unfair treatment of volunteers who were
\nengaged in a humanitarian mission.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, as part of the effort to deal with the protracted
\nconflict in Maluku, Pattimura Military Commander Brig. Gen. I
\nMade Yasa ordered the Zipur V battalion back to its barracks in
\nthe East Java Brawijaya Military Command. The battalion was
\nalleged to have taken \"a partial stance\" in handling the conflict
\nand to have involved themselves in attacks in the disputed areas
\nof Diponegoro, Mangga Dua and Airmata Cina on July 20.<\/p>\n
The troops were sent back to East Java on Friday aboard a
\nnaval warship, Yasa said.<\/p>\n
\"I've filed reports with their superiors and legal action will
\nbe taken according to procedures,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Yasa said he had received complaints from Maluku residents
\nabout the behavior of the troops and had been collecting
\ninformation related to the incidents.<\/p>\n
Maluku Police chief Brig. Gen. Firman Gani hailed the move,
\nsaying the local authorities had pledged to expel all \"unwanted
\noutsiders or parties\", including members of the country's
\nsecurity forces and the Jihad Force, who instigated unrest.<\/p>\n
\"We are also prepared if it turns out there is a hostile
\nreaction from those parties. We are ready expel them by force if
\nnecessary.<\/p>\n
\"In line with that, the elite National Police Mobile Brigade
\nwill receive around 16,000 new weapons to be distributed to
\npolice personnel in Maluku, Irian Jaya and Aceh. The guns come
\nfrom Russia and China,\" Firman said.<\/p>\n
Separately, the executor of the civil emergency status in
\nMaluku, Governor Saleh Latuconsina, asserted on Tuesday that
\nnegotiations between him and the warring Muslim and Christian
\ncamps were underway.<\/p>\n
\"I already have had four meetings with the Christian camp and
\nthree meetings with the Muslim group. Next week we plan to have a
\njoint meeting between the two conflicting camps.<\/p>\n
\"In the meantime, those unwanted outsiders must leave Maluku
\nimmediately so the situation will be much more calm and conducive
\nfor holding peace talks,\" Latuconsina said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the secretary of the Indonesian Ulemas Council in
\nMaluku, Malik Selang, said he supported civil emergency
\nauthorities' efforts to remove Laskar Jihad from the area.<\/p>\n
\"But I think the conflicts have been going on in Maluku long
\nbefore the arrival of Laskar Jihad. They are not the cause of the
\nproblem here.<\/p>\n
\"So if they are expelled, isn't it a violation of human rights
\nbecause people are allowed to travel wherever they wish?\" Malik
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Governor Latuconsina issued on Tuesday an official
\nwarning to two local dailies in Maluku, Suara Maluku and Siwa
\nLima, for using language that \"can increase the emotions of the
\npeople and for condemning the security forces in Maluku\".
\n(49\/edt\/dja)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jihad-force-in-maluku-illegal-juwono-1447893297",
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