Two senior ministers greeted by anti-peace demonstration<\/p>\n
Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Makassar<\/p>\n
A high-powered ministerial delegation checking preparations for
\nreconciliation talks between warring religious factions in
\nMaluku, were greeted in South Sulawesi Tuesday by more than 30
\nMuslim students opposed to the talks.<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
\nSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Coordinating Minister for People's
\nWelfare Jusuf Kalla passed the students gathered at the Mandala
\nMonument, as they drove from the airport to the governor's
\noffice.<\/p>\n
The students from Maluku, who reject the government-sponsored
\ntalks, held a banner stating: Indonesia has its own laws and is
\nnot a reconciliation country; crimes committed by the South
\nMaluku People separatist movement (RMS) and Maluku Sovereignty
\nForum (FKM) must be solved in accordance with the law not with
\nreconciliation talks.<\/p>\n
The students said the groups were Christian-based separatist
\norganizations responsible for killing Muslims.<\/p>\n
So far, the sectarian conflict that has lasted for three years
\nhas claimed more than 6,000 human lives.<\/p>\n
The ministers' visit was to check on preparations for the
\nreconciliation meeting scheduled for the middle of this month in
\nMalino, 70 kilometers northeast of the provincial capital
\nMakassar.<\/p>\n
The ministers and other high-ranking officials, including from
\nthe Military and National Police, visited Maluku last month and
\nmet with both warring factions.<\/p>\n
Delegates of both factions held a preliminary meeting in the
\ncity last week and agreed to the reconciliation meeting. They had
\nreturned home to promote the planned meeting.<\/p>\n
Demonstration coordinator Chaeruddin Moto said: "We reject the
\nreconciliation. What the Maluku people needs now is not
\nreconciliation but law enforcement."<\/p>\n
He said the main issue in Maluku was not sectarian conflict
\nbut a separatist movement launched by the RMS and FKM which
\nprovoked ethnic and religious sensitivities.<\/p>\n
"We want the government to quell the separatist movements and
\ntake strict action against all those violating the law," he said.<\/p>\n
He warned that the reconciliation meeting, the twenty-first
\nsuch meeting, would not be effective in ending the conflict
\nunless the government quelled the separatist movements.<\/p>\n
He said the Maluku Muslim students would not support the
\nmeeting because they believed the factions were forced to go to
\nthe negotiating table.<\/p>\n
"We will be ready to go to the negotiating table only if the
\ngovernment investigates the systematic massive killing committed
\nby RMS supporters on Jan 19, 1999, and bring to court all those
\nviolating the law over the last three years," he said.<\/p>\n
The Christian-based groups believe the conflict is being
\nfueled by Muslim-based organizations from Java who are supplying
\nmen and weapons to kill Christians.<\/p>",
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