Militant Islam poses test for Mega<\/p>\n
Lee Kim Chew, The Straits Times, Asia News Network, Singapore<\/p>\n
The law has finally caught up with Islamic militant Jafaar
\nUmar Thalib for inciting violence in the Maluku islands, but
\nthere is no certainty that justice will be served.<\/p>\n
The commander of Laskar Jihad, a paramilitary group of Muslim
\nfanatics, could still wriggle free with help from powerful
\nbackers in the Islamic parties and the military, skeptics say.<\/p>\n
Jafaar was arrested in May last year for inciting religious
\nhatred but was released after 18 days when a court ruled that his
\ndetention was illegal.<\/p>\n
Sukardi Rinakit, head of the Center for Political Studies, a
\nJakarta think-tank, says that Jafaar's protectors in Vice-
\nPresident Hamzah Haz, leader of the country's largest Islamic
\nparty, and military elements will shield him.<\/p>\n
Also, the police do not consider him a terrorist.<\/p>\n
For two years, Laskar Jihad fighters, whose avowed aim is to
\nturn Indonesia into an Islamic state, had virtually a free hand
\nto wage war against Christians in the Maluku islands.<\/p>\n
His arrest two weeks ago stems from several factors.<\/p>\n
Prof. Arief Budiman, head of Indonesian studies at the
\nUniversity of Melbourne, thinks that United States pressure on
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri has forced her to take action.<\/p>\n
More importantly, Megawati now feels confident enough to rein
\nin the Islamic militants, a move that displeases her nominal
\nMuslim allies in the government.<\/p>\n
She is relying on her close ties with the military, which
\nitself is regaining its clout, Prof. Arief says.<\/p>\n
The timing of Jafaar's arrest coincides with Washington's new
\ninterest in repairing its frayed ties with the Indonesian
\nmilitary.<\/p>\n
In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S., the
\nBush administration is making strenuous efforts to cultivate
\nmoderate Islamic countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia.<\/p>\n
U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz says there is an
\nurgent need to close \"a dangerous gap between the West and the
\nMuslim world\".<\/p>\n
Wolfowitz, who served as U.S. ambassador to Indonesia from
\n1986 to 1989, told a World Affairs Council meeting in Monterey,
\nCalifornia, earlier this month: \"Indonesia is another important
\nexample of a nation seeking to build a democratic government
\nbased on a culture of inclusion and participation. But it does so
\nin the face of severe economic obstacles...<\/p>\n
\"If we are serious about opposing terrorism, we also must be
\nserious about helping Indonesia in its quest for a stable
\ndemocracy and a stable economy.\"<\/p>\n
With the war on terrorism high on its agenda, Washington is
\nready and willing to extend more aid to Jakarta, but under the
\nright conditions.<\/p>\n
Megawati has to be seen to be taking concrete measures to
\ncrack down on the extreme Islamic groups which are avowedly anti-
\nAmerican.<\/p>\n
This is the least that she has to do to persuade Washington's
\nlawmakers to lift the sanctions imposed on the Indonesian
\nmilitary after the East Timor fracas.<\/p>\n
Initially reluctant, she now appears to be moving in this
\ndirection.<\/p>\n
Last Tuesday, the Indonesians signed an anti-terrorism pact to
\nshare intelligence and collaborate with Malaysia and the
\nPhilippines.<\/p>\n
The Indonesians have to show they are taking such pro-active
\nsteps, as they have been criticized for being lax in dealing with
\nthe problem. Like Malaysia, they need to be on the right side in
\nthe global war against terror.<\/p>\n
Malaysian Defense Minister Najib Abdul Razak cited the arrest
\nof 62 Islamic militants, exchange of intelligence with the U.S.,
\nand the provision of military training and overflight facilities
\nfor the Americans as examples of cooperation with Washington
\nduring his visit to the Pentagon earlier this month.<\/p>\n
Malaysia-U.S. military ties were \"at its all-time high today\",
\nhe enthused. This is what the Americans want to replicate with
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld disclosed that some 1,500
\nMalaysians had taken part in a training program for senior
\nmilitary officers in the U.S. He wants the Indonesians to resume
\ntheir participation in the program.<\/p>\n
All this indicates that it is a propitious time now for
\nIndonesia, which is anxious to get U.S. military aid, to
\nnormalize relations with Washington.<\/p>\n
But the attempts to patch things up could still be snagged by
\nthe politicking in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Since its creation two years ago, Laskar Jihad has been a
\nwilling instrument of Vice-President Hamzah's Islamic party and
\nrogue military elements to promote their own agendas.<\/p>\n
Laskar Jihad's well-armed fighters, numbering several
\nthousands, operate as shock troops, much like the militiamen used
\nby the Indonesian military to put down the pro-independence East
\nTimorese in 1999.<\/p>\n
They have been involved in the sectarian violence in Poso,
\nSulawesi, and earlier this year, some of their fighters were
\nspotted in Papua giving military training to pro-Jakarta
\nmilitiamen to fight the mostly Christian Papuan separatists.<\/p>\n
Protected by those who want to destabilize the government in
\nJakarta, Laskar Jihad militants will continue to fuel the
\nsectarian conflicts between Muslims and Christians as long as the
\ncentral authorities remain divided.<\/p>\n
Not just Jafaar's arrest, President Megawati will also have to
\ndisband Laskar Jihad, disarm its fighters and get them out of the
\nMaluku islands.<\/p>\n
This may not happen, given her trademark passivity and
\nminimalist approach when confronted with troublesome problems.<\/p>\n
Washington's policy-makers will have to be patient as the
\nIndonesians grapple with them in their own way.<\/p>\n
Unless Megawati can do a deal with the former ruling Golkar
\nparty to fortify her position ahead of the 2004 presidential
\nelection, she will not be able to ditch the Islamic parties in
\nher government.<\/p>\n
How she tackles the threat posed by militant Islam and the
\nlikes of Laskar Jihad will be a test of her resolve. She could
\nlose big if she prevaricates.<\/p>",
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