Megawati, TNI urged to withdraw military from Maluku, North Maluku<\/p>\n
Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Lawyers from Maluku and North Maluku are urging President
\nMegawati Soekarnoputri and the Indonesian Military (TNI) to
\nimmediately withdraw military personnel from the two conflict-
\ntorn provinces to aid reconciliation between the warring parties
\nthere.<\/p>\n
\"Communal clashes have long stopped in Maluku and the military
\npresence in the province has only triggered and worsened the
\nconflict there,\" the coordinator of lawyers in Maluku, Munir
\nKairotty, told The Jakarta Post here on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Currently, there are between 9,000 and 11,000 TNI personnel in
\nboth Maluku and North Maluku, almost half of which are
\nreinforcement troops from South Sulawesi and East Java.<\/p>\n
Thirty lawyers from Maluku and North Maluku, grouped under the
\nBakuBaeMaluku (Reconcile Maluku) movement are currently in
\nJakarta to attend a workshop, scheduled from Jan. 19 to Jan. 23,
\norganized to find the best legal solution to the conflict in the
\ntwo provinces. The lawyers comprise 15 Christians and 15 Muslims.<\/p>\n
The movement was established in April 2000 and aims at
\nstopping violence by involving all parties in promoting
\nreconciliation.<\/p>\n
Religious conflict has gripped the province since January 1999
\nand led to the loss of nearly 10,000 lives.<\/p>\n
Munir said the situation in the two provinces has improved
\nsignificantly following the withdrawal of some battalions at the
\nend of last year.<\/p>\n
\"We want the government to withdraw the remaining battalions
\nand to entrust the police with security,\" Kairotty said, at the
\nsidelines of a meeting at the office of the Indonesian Legal Aid
\nInstitute Foundation (YLBHI).<\/p>\n
BakuBaeMaluku facilitator Ichsan Malik, who was also attending
\nthe meeting, told the Post that they were reaching the final
\nstage of their negotiations and were looking forward to the
\ngathering of Maluku people scheduled in April, which is set to
\ndiscuss solutions without government interference.<\/p>\n
\"It's up to the people themselves to find the best solution to
\nthe conflict. The solution should not be imposed by Jakarta,\"
\nIchsan said.<\/p>\n
The call for the withdrawal of military personnel from Maluku,
\naccording to Kairotty, would be included in the lawyers'
\ndeclaration, to be issued at the end of the workshop, which will
\nfocus on assessing the implementation of law in the provinces.<\/p>\n
Munir said there were still small outbursts in areas close to
\nthe sea, but that did not involve retaliatory action by warring
\nparties.<\/p>\n
\"We have been informed that it is the military who have
\ninstigated the recent spate of violence,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The BakuBaeMaluku Movement has held several discussions
\ninvolving warring groups, academics, activists and humanitarian
\nworkers.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare Jusuf
\nKalla is scheduled to visit Maluku at the end of this month to
\ndiscuss possible solutions to the conflict there.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/megawati-tni-urged-to-withdraw-military-from-maluku-north-maluku-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}