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.