600 Laskar Jihad members arrive, return to schools
600 Laskar Jihad members arrive, return to schools
Ainur R. Sophiaan, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya
About 600 members of the recently-disbanded Laskar Jihad Muslim
militant paramilitary organization who departed from Ambon on
Oct. 15 arrived on Friday at the Tanjung Perak seaport.
Wearing their customary white gowns and headscarves, they
alighted from the KM Doro Londa ferry which plies the Ambon-
Kupang-Makassar-Surabaya route.
Although they looked exhausted, most managed smiles when the
press met them.
No special reception was arranged, but hundreds of police
personnel were deployed to safeguard the arrival of the
militants, who are part of the 750-strong first batch of 1,500
Laskar Jihad mercenaries to be sent back to Java.
The controversial, but well-armed militia allegedly killed and
maimed thousands of Maluku Christians with impunity in three plus
years of bloodshed, including the last several months despite a
February peace agreement signed by Christian and Muslim
representatives in Malino, South Sulawesi.
One of the Laskar Jihad members who greeted the returnees,
Yoyok Wahyu Nugroho, claimed that everyone accepted the decision
of chairman Ja'far Umar Thalib to dissolve the organization.
He added that each of them would return to their respective
Islamic boarding schools run by the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah
Foundation.
"They are good and well-trained human resources," he added.
Most of this batch hails from some 30 villages across East
Java and other towns throughout Java.
From the port they were taken to their villages by bus and
private cars.
Ahmad Baidlowi, who was in Ambon for one year, said that he
was impressed by the solidarity among paramilitary members to
wage war on behalf of fellow Muslims residing in Maluku.
"I don't regret this dissolution. We are proud of having
strong solidarity and a consistent leader. We will keep on
fighting evil practices," he said without elaborating.
The process here of repatriating the militants ran smoothly.
Many of them were seen warmly shaking hands with police
personnel.
"We are all happy to see our families again. We will also take
care of the families of our fallen comrades," Ahmad added.
Hundreds of other former Laskar Jihad members in Ambon and
Central Sulawesi are preparing for their repatriation to Java as
well.
Earlier, a number of Muslim scholars hailed Laskar Jihad's
decision to disband and urged other paramilitary organizations to
follow suit or the authorities would do it for them in order to
stop renewed violence.