Religious leaders agree to maintain security<\/p>\n
SURABAYA (JP): East Java religious leaders agreed on Wednesday
\nto maintain security and order and promised to properly control
\ntheir followers to anticipate possible chaos, following the
\nescalating tension in the most densely populated province in the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
The agreement was made in a meeting sponsored by East Java
\nPolice chief Insp. Gen. Sutanto at the Hyatt Regency Surabaya
\nHotel.<\/p>\n
Sutanto told reporters after the meeting that there were two
\nsignificant topics discussed by the police and the religious
\nleaders: Sampit refugees and the impact of the political climate
\nemanating from Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Attending the meeting were Ali Maschan Moesa, chairman of East
\nJava chapter of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), deputy chief of East Java
\nchapter of Muhammadiyah Sulaiman, Johanes Hadi Wikarta of the
\nIndonesian Church Council (KWI), Ref. Edy Pattinasarany of Inter-
\nChurch Council (Bamag) and Insp. Gen. Sutanto.<\/p>\n
\"In the short term, NU's Banser and Muhammadiyah's task force
\nKokam, along with other task forces, will conduct a joint patrol
\nin all areas,\" Sutanto said. \"With the joint patrol operating,
\npeople should remain calm and should not easily be provoked.\"<\/p>\n
East Java has become one of the nation's trouble spots, in
\nline with the escalation of political tensions in the country,
\nfollowing efforts to topple President Abdurrahman Wahid, who was
\na previous chairman of NU for many years, prior to becoming
\nPresident.<\/p>\n
Most of the towns in the province are strongholds of the
\nPresident. His supporters have demonstrated their die-hard
\nloyalty to him by attacking the offices of Golkar Party branches
\nin Surabaya and some other towns.<\/p>\n
The attackers believed that Golkar, chaired by Akbar Tandjung,
\nhad joined hands with supporters of Amien Rais, speaker of the
\nPeople's Consultative Assembly (MPR), to unseat Abdurrahman.<\/p>\n
Terrorist acts and violence have reportedly also been carried
\nout by Abdurrahman's supporters against leaders of Muhammadiyah,
\nthe second largest Muslim organization, once chaired by Amien
\nRais.<\/p>\n
Sutanto called on the religious leaders to control their
\nfollowers properly. \"There is no need to send people to Jakarta.
\nThat will only damage the political climate and threaten national
\nsecurity,\" he said, referring to NU and Banser leaders'
\nstatements on their readiness to send thousands of supporters to
\nJakarta to defend the President from his opponents' attacks.<\/p>\n
Sutanto said that public places, including the port of
\nKetapang at Banyuwangi, would become the focus of attention for
\nthe police.<\/p>\n
Ketapang, the gateway to Gilimanuk, Bali, has been blocked
\ntwice by Abdurrahman's supporters. The blockades disturbed
\ntransportation as the ferry crossings to and from Bali had to be
\ncanceled.<\/p>\n
Ali Maschan told reporters after the meeting that what
\nhappened at the grassroots level was just the spillover from the
\n\"games\" played by members of the political elite (in Jakarta).<\/p>\n
\"Frankly speaking, I cannot guarantee anything. Things depend
\non Jakarta. If only the Jakarta leaders could compromise, the
\npeople here would be quiet,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He added that he could not stop NU members from going to
\nJakarta. \"They have the right to go anywhere.\"<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Sulaiman of Muhammadiyah said he regretted the
\npolice's weakness in upholding the law. \"We reported the terror
\nagainst Muhammadiyah leaders here. But they (the police) did
\nnothing to respond to our report. This is very dangerous,\"
\nSulaiman said.<\/p>\n
He said that \"Muhammadiyah cleansing\" could take place in East
\nJava if the law were not enforced properly. (nur\/sur)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/religious-leaders-agree-to-maintain-security-1447893297",
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