PPP denies members' involvement in ethnic riot<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party (PPP) denied an
\nArmy claim yesterday that two of its politicians had incited the
\nlatest wave of ethnic violence in West Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
PPP chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum said Amin Imron had not
\nvisited the troubled province as the army had alleged while
\nAbdullah Schal visited from Jan. 9 to Jan. 16 on a peace mission
\ninitiated by senior Islamic preachers from Madura.<\/p>\n
The Moslem-oriented PPP sent a fact-finding team to West
\nKalimantan from Jan. 11 through Jan. 14 following the first
\nclash, in Sanggau Ledo, between indigenous Dayaks and migrants
\nfrom Madura.<\/p>\n
The team, according to Metareum, consisted of Bachtiar
\nChamsyah, Koensholehoeddin and Nadhier Muhammad, all House of
\nRepresentatives members.<\/p>\n
Amin and Abdullah, who both hail from Madura, were among the
\nfour people army leaders publicly identified as instigators of
\nthe latest wave of unrest in West Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
Maj. Gen. Zacky Anwar Makarim, Assistant to the Army Chief for
\nSecurity Affairs, said Monday the four had been questioned by the
\npolice but more evidence was needed before they could be
\narrested.<\/p>\n
Army Chief of Staff Gen. R. Hartono said Monday the second
\nwave of violence, which newspapers have said claimed 300 lives,
\nwas instigated by a group of East Java people who went to West
\nKalimantan to fan fresh unrest.<\/p>\n
The second wave of clashes started on Jan. 29, less than a
\nmonth after the Dayaks and Madurese reached a peace agreement.<\/p>\n
Residents of West Kalimantan have said the latest unrest
\nerupted following reports that 40 masked men, believed to be
\nmigrants from Madura, attacked a foundation that manages Catholic
\nschools in the Siantan Tengah district.<\/p>\n
The Dayaks accused the Madurese migrants of breaking the oath
\nof peace they had made following an earlier clash in the Sanggau
\nLedo district triggered by a minor dispute over a woman. Five
\npeople were killed and 21 went missing following the first
\nincident, officials reported.<\/p>\n
When pressed about Hartono's remarks that the Army had plenty
\nof evidence of the two PPP members' presence in West Kalimantan,
\nIsmail said the PPP would consider questioning the two.<\/p>\n
When confronted with the army's claim that Amin and Abdullah
\nhad circulated provocative leaflets with their pictures printed
\non them, Ismail said the allegation was not true.<\/p>\n
\"The leaflets were part of the party's fund-raising drive to
\nfinance the upcoming general election campaign,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, PPP deputy chairman Hamzah Haz said the leaflets
\nwere probably taken to West Kalimantan by santri (students of
\nIslamic boarding schools).<\/p>\n
Moslem leaders in Madura said yesterday they were certain
\nHartono had not meant to accuse the local Ulemas' Board of
\nCommunication when he was said \"people from East Java\" incited
\nthe second wave of unrest.<\/p>\n
\"I'm sure Pak (Mr.) Hartono did not target the board simply
\nbecause four of our members visited West Kalimantan,\" board
\nsecretary Nurudin A. Rahman told Antara yesterday.<\/p>\n
Nurudin said the visit of the four members, including
\nAbdullah, to West Kalimantan from Jan. 9 to Jan. 16 was simply
\nmotivated by a desire to help calm the situation there.<\/p>\n
\"We tried to help restore peace there and called on Madura
\nmigrants not to be easily provoked by rumors that could lead to
\nfresh riots,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Moreover, he said, \"We also tried to cheer them up and told
\nthem not take any revenge.\" (imn)<\/p>",
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