Troops to be maintained in North Maluku<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government will maintain a large number of troops in North
\nMaluku to assist the repatriation of refugees despite a plan to
\nlift the civil emergency status in the province.<\/p>\n
Speaking in a press conference on Thursday, Coordinating
\nMinister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang
\nYudhoyono said Minister of Social Affairs Bachtiar Chamsyah had
\nasked for the troops to help the local government complete the
\nrepatriation program for refugees who fled their homes in the
\nwake of bloody sectarian conflict in the Maluku islands between
\n1999 and 2001.<\/p>\n
\"To maintain security and to carry out the humanitarian
\nmission the Indonesian Military will immediately set up a
\nmilitary resort command in the province,\" Susilo said after a
\nCabinet meeting presided over by President Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
There were 9,800 military reinforcement troops placed in
\nMaluku and North Maluku following the sectarian conflict.<\/p>\n
A presidential decree, prepared by Minister of Home Affairs
\nHari Sabarno, will be issued as soon as possible to provide the
\nlegal basis for the lifting of the civil emergency in North
\nMaluku.<\/p>\n
Susilo said security conditions in the province no longer
\nneeded special attention.<\/p>\n
\"From our evaluation, North Maluku will regain its normal
\nstatus,\" Susilo said.<\/p>\n
Maluku and North Maluku were placed under a civil emergency in
\nJune 2000 through Presidential Decree No. 88\/2000, issued by
\nformer president Abdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
The decree was signed after a long and tiring debate on how to
\nend the sectarian clashes on the islands, which began with a
\nminor fight over a bus fare between two men of different faiths
\nduring Idul Fitri in the Maluku capital of Ambon in January 1999.<\/p>\n
The conflict claimed thousands of lives and shattered
\nreligious harmony among the people and forced hundreds of
\nthousands of people to take refuge.<\/p>\n
The civil emergency has placed the people under constant
\nsurveillance by the military and police, and only in the past
\nyear the situation improved in North Maluku.<\/p>\n
Security remains a concern in the neighboring province of
\nMaluku, however.<\/p>\n
\"The situation in Maluku requires a continuation of the civil
\nemergency, at least until the election of a new governor for the
\nprovince,\" Susilo said.<\/p>\n
\"Once the new leader is elected, the central government will
\nimmediately evaluate whether to keep or lift the civil emergency
\nstatus,\" Susilo said.<\/p>\n
Home minister Hari Sabarno said the gubernatorial election
\nwould take place within the next few months as the local council
\nhad not yet submitted the names of the gubernatorial candidates
\nto Jakarta.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/troops-to-be-maintained-in-north-maluku-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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