The Ambon case<\/p>\n
From Republika<\/p>\n
I was deeply concerned when on Dec. 4, 1999, I read in a daily
\na news report titled Armored vehicles to be sent to Ambon.
\nAccording to this report, National Police chief Gen. Roesmanhadi
\nstated that he would send armored vehicles in two or three days
\nto help restore security in Ambon.<\/p>\n
My concern is not unreasonable. In my opinion, sending armored
\nvehicles to Ambon will not help settle the problem but will,
\ninstead, trigger a new problem. It must be borne in mind that the
\nAmbonese are not enemies that the government must deal with by
\ndeploying armored vehicles.<\/p>\n
The conflicts in Ambon are connected with religions and
\nethnicity, particularly between the Muslim community and the non-
\nMuslim community. In fact the problem is already clear. It is now
\nleft to the government to be able to accommodate the two
\nconflicting camps. The conflicts erupting in Aceh are different
\nbecause the Acehnese want their own freedom and would like to
\nsecede from the Republic of Indonesia. In this case, armored
\nvehicles may be deployed to help settle the problem.<\/p>\n
The conflict in Ambon can be settled through compromises to be
\nreached by the religious leaders. The government should act more
\nas a mediator. So, in this case, it is best for the government to
\nresort to a religious approach and bring the conflicting camps to
\na negotiating table. Of course, in this respect, the communities
\nconcerned must also show their sincere willingness and awareness,
\nwithout which it will be difficult for the government to find a
\nsolution to the protracted conflict.<\/p>\n
FERNANDES HUTASOIT<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/the-ambon-case-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }