VP tells Maluku authorities to work together<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
In the wake of the recent sniping among Maluku authorities, Vice
\nPresident Hamzah Haz told all officials in charge of the state of
\ncivil emergency in the province to work together in dealing with
\nthe prolonged conflict there.<\/p>\n
The Vice President also urged the authorities to take action
\nagainst any parties making trouble in the province, including the
\nSouth Maluku Republic (RMS) secessionist movement.<\/p>\n
\"It is of the utmost importance that the governor, the
\nmilitary command chief and the chief of the provincial police are
\nsolid and united in handling the situation there. None of them
\nshould be going in their own direction,\" Hamzah said after
\nperforming the Friday prayer at the Baitul Faidzin Mosque in
\nBogor, West Java.<\/p>\n
Authorities in Maluku took turns criticizing each other on
\nThursday over the recent surge in violence in the province, with
\nthe deadliest incident being an attack on the Christian village
\nof Soya in Ambon, and the absence of stern action against
\nlawbreakers, two points that have undermined the Malino II peace
\nagreement signed in February.<\/p>\n
Discussing the attack on Soya, Hamzah said it would take the
\nsecurity authorities more time to investigate the incident, which
\nleft at least 14 people dead.<\/p>\n
\"The police nowadays cannot unilaterally arrest someone for
\nalleged wrongdoing as in the past, when the anti-subversion law
\nexisted. Now, they must have accurate data to prove the
\nallegations and arrest someone,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In Ambon, political observers and religious leaders called on
\nthe central government to establish an independent commission of
\ninquiry, as required by the Malino peace deal, to investigate all
\nacts of violence that have occurred since the Maluku conflict
\nbegan on Jan. 19, 1999.<\/p>\n
They argued that investigating the violence, the RMS, Laskar
\nJihad and other lawbreakers would ensure justice for the people,
\nand prevent any further badmouthing and finger-pointing among
\nofficials and conflicting parties.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said
\nhis officers had strong grounds not to carry out the Maluku
\ngovernor's instructions in dealing with the religious conflict in
\nthe province.<\/p>\n
\"I know that the chief of the Pattimura Military Command asked
\nthe governor to postpone his instructions until a more strategic
\ntime. The immediate implementation of the instructions would have
\nonly had a negative impact on the situation in the province,\"
\nEndriartono said after leading a ceremony marking the retirement
\nof Army Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Kiki Syahnakri.<\/p>\n
\"At the time, the military commander asked to wait for an
\nappropriate time to execute the governor's instructions. That is
\nnot disobeying orders,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Asked about a videotape allegedly showing the commander of the
\nLaskar Jihad, Ahlussunah wal Jamaah Jafar Umar Thalib, addressing
\na gathering in Maluku last Friday, in which he vows to kill all
\nof the relatives of former president Sukarno, including current
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri, Endriartono said the case must
\nbe prosecuted.<\/p>\n
\"Any threat against the President is against the law. The
\nsecurity authorities should take action ... they should arrest
\nhim,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In related development, hundreds of Laskar Jihad supporters
\nrallied in the West Java capital of Bandung and the South
\nSulawesi capital of Makassar to warn the authorities against
\narresting Jafar.<\/p>\n
The protesters said that any attempt to arrest Jafar would be
\nregarded as an insult to Muslims, because no action was taken
\nagainst RMS and its supporters.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/vp-tells-maluku-authorities-to-work-together-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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