Kalimantan unrest is over, says Feisal<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung said
\nyesterday the bloody ethnic conflict in West Kalimantan was
\nofficially over since leaders of the warring parties had signed a
\npeace treaty Tuesday.<\/p>\n
\"All parties have to uphold the accord and abide by the
\nprevailing laws,\" Feisal said yesterday after checking on the
\nmilitary's preparations for the May 29 general election.<\/p>\n
As normalcy returns to West Kalimantan, the authorities are
\ncontinuing to investigate who should be held responsible and what
\nthe final death toll is, he said.<\/p>\n
Feisal also clarified a senior army officer's earlier
\nstatement that the death toll in the ethnic conflict between the
\nindigenous Dayaks and migrants from Madura was 300.<\/p>\n
\"That figure is not correct,\" he said but declined to give his
\nestimate on the grounds that the investigation was still ongoing.<\/p>\n
The unrest broke out in late December and ceased after both
\ncommunities agreed to a truce. But it flared again on Jan. 29
\nafter the Dayaks accused the migrants of attacking a dormitory.<\/p>\n
Feisal said the authorities had checked on Army Chief Gen.
\nHartono's reports that the second bout of unrest had been
\ninstigated by several people from East Java who went to West
\nKalimantan to add fuel to the conflict.<\/p>\n
The army identified two of the suspects as Amin Imron and
\nAbdullah Schal. Both are highly respected Moslem preachers from
\nMadura. They are senior activists of the United Development
\nParty.<\/p>\n
The authorities have looked into the report but there has been
\nnothing to suggest they incited the riot, Feisal said.<\/p>\n
In an unexpected twist, Hartono declared in Surabaya yesterday
\nthat the controversy surrounding his allegation was closed
\nbecause he accepted that the Madurese ulemas went to West
\nKalimantan \"for a good purpose.\"<\/p>\n
Hartono, who also hails from Madura, said Amin and Abdullah
\nwould not be taken to court.<\/p>\n
\"In the future, if they have good intentions to help restore
\norder they should forward their ideas to the local military
\ncommander,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, life in the capital Pontianak returned to normal
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
A resident told The Jakarta Post the number of casualties and
\nmaterial losses to property from the latest clash in Sungai
\nKunyit district, 56 kilometers north of Pontianak, was unclear.
\nOfficials were unavailable for confirmation.<\/p>\n
Both military and Dayak checkpoints remained in force in
\nnearby subdistricts, he said. (imn\/01\/pan)<\/p>",
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