Peace campaign begins in Ambon<\/p>\n
Oktavianus Pinontoan, The Jakarta Post, Ambon<\/p>\n
On Friday, amid a calm atmosphere in Ambon, the Maluku
\nprovincial capital, the members of the Christian delegation to
\nthe Malino peace talks began relating the details of their accord
\nwith their Muslim rivals to clergy and religious leaders.<\/p>\n
The 35-member Christian delegation, led by Tony Pariela,
\nexplained the two-day Malino meeting, and the peace accord it
\nyielded, to hundreds of Christian and Catholic priests at the
\nMaranatha Church in the city.<\/p>\n
The delegation was scheduled to hold several such meetings to
\nsocialize the peace accord to Christian and Catholic adherents
\nelsewhere in the city on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The members of the Muslim delegation have yet to announce when
\nthey would follow suit, apparently because of the rejection they
\nhad received from certain Muslim groups.<\/p>\n
Some 30 local Muslims staged a demonstration near the
\nPattimura airport in protest of the peace accord when the
\ndelegates arrived there.<\/p>\n
Several even pelted stones at cars carrying the delegates from
\nthe airport to the governor's office. They rejected the peace
\naccord which required all militiamen, including members of Laskar
\nJihad, to leave the province.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, two bombs exploded in the Mardika-Batumerah
\nsubdistricts but, so far, no groups have claimed responsibility.<\/p>\n
The peace accord, which also required a thorough investigation
\ninto the supporters of the RMS (South Maluku Republic) separatist
\nmovement and of the Maluku Sovereignty Front (FKM), has stirred
\nconfusion and anger among Maluku Christians because they did not
\nsupport the two underground organizations.<\/p>\n
During the Malino peace talks, the two opposing delegations
\nagreed to spend three months socializing the peace accord with
\ntheir own supporters.<\/p>\n
Maluku Governor Saleh Latuconsina and Deputy Governor Paula
\nRenyaan were scheduled to socialize the peace accord among civil
\nservants at their own office in the city on Saturday.<\/p>\n
The local administration, in cooperation with local security
\npersonnel, was also slated to campaign for the peace accord,
\nexplaining it to students -- from the elementary to the
\nuniversity level -- as well as non-governmental organizations,
\nand political parties in the province.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Maluku Provincial police chief Brig. Gen. Soenarko
\nDanu Ardianto reiterated that security forces would take strict
\naction against all people and groups caught violating the peace
\naccord and the rule of law.<\/p>\n
\"Both the police and the local military will take tough
\nmeasures against any actions that oppose the peace accord,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The 11-point peace accord, he added, was expected to end the
\nthree-year-old sectarian conflict that has claimed thousands of
\nlives, an untold amount of money in material losses, as well as
\nimmeasurable psychological trauma among the local civilian
\npopulation.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore, both rival factions and security authorities must
\nmake a strong commitment to abide by the peace accord for the
\nsake of the province's future and humanity,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"All sides should work hand in hand to make the peace pact a
\nsuccess,\" he added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/peace-campaign-begins-in-ambon-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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