Ambon talks end in disaray

Ambon talks end in disaray

M. Azis Tunny, Ambon

A meeting of Christian and Muslim leaders and National Police
chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar ended in disarray here on Monday, after
conflicting parties failed to reach an agreement to cease the
renewed clashes in Ambon, Maluku.

The breakdown in the talks is expected to worsen the sectarian
conflict in the restive city, where at least 38 people have died
in renewed clashes that erupted on April 25, triggered by a
separatist rally.

Separately, police said they would charge the wife and
daughter of exiled Maluku separatist leader Alex Manuputty with
subversion-related offenses.

Monday's meeting became heated after Maluku police and
military chiefs prohibited local Muslim leaders from reading out
a statement on their stance over the violence on April 25, the
54th anniversary of the declaration of the South Maluku Republic
(RMS).

When Da'i was leaving the venue, he was suddenly stopped by
Muslim leader Abdurachman Nivinubun who was dissatisfied with the
meeting, which was conducted without a dialog between
participants.

The forum was closed after Da'i, noted Muslim preacher
Abdullah "Aa Gym" Gymnastiar and Indonesian Communion of Churches
(PGI) chairman Nathan Setiabudi gave speeches.

Abdurachman's spontaneous move surprised other meeting
participants.

Pattimura military commander Maj. Gen. Syarifuddin Sumah and
other local senior officers tried to calm Abdurachman, but the
latter insisted on speaking.

"Allow me to speak here. National Police chief, I want to talk
to you for a while. The current unrest, which is a continuation
of the April 25 incident, is part of a big scenario aimed at
destroying Maluku," Abdurachman told Da'i.

He argued that the security forces were powerless in
preventing activists from the Maluku Sovereignty Front (FKM) from
staging a separatist rally on April 25.

Similarly, Christian youth leader Josias Polnaya lamented that
the Da'i-led meeting had failed to bring about a peaceful
solution, as it did not give the chance for participants to air
their views or grievances.

Josias said the fresh violence was part of attempts by
outsiders to disrupt the ethnic harmony between people in
religiously segregated Maluku, who lived in relative peace after
a peace accord signed in early 2002 to end three years of
fighting that began in January 1999.

In a response, Da'i said the police would take action
"proportionally and professionally" to stop the sectarian
conflict.

He also pledged to deal with RMS separatists before leaving
the venue.

The chaos lasted for only a few minutes as both Muslim and
Christian participants refrained from blaming each other for the
new clashes.

However, the Muslim group, in its statement that was not read
out at the meeting, firmly demanded that the police resolve all
FKM/RMS cases thoroughly within three days.

The Muslim participants also urged the police to replace all
personnel from Maluku with those from outside the province in
order to stop alleged partiality.

According to another participant Hasan Ohorella, the Maluku
authorities asked that the statement not to be read out at the
meeting because it could disrupt the forum.

Meanwhile, the police said at least 35 RMS members, including
Oly and Christine Manuputty -- the wife and daughter of exiled
Maluku pro-independence leader Alex Manuputty, were detained and
would face subversion charges.

FKM secretary-general Moses Tuanakotta was also among those
detained at the Maluku Police headquarters.

Maluku Police chief Brig. Gen. Bambang Sutrisno promised to
complete their case files soon so as to submit them to
prosecutors.

He said the police were hunting down other separatist members
still at large.

Earlier, Da'i said the trials for the charged RMS leaders
would be held outside Maluku to prevent possible violence.

Meanwhile, the security situation was much calmer in Ambon on
Monday amid heavy rain. No shooting or blasts were heard, despite
rumors that Laskar Jihad hard-liners would head to Ambon as they
did in the previous conflict.

Maluku Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu told Antara that he had
ordered security forces to remove the various makeshift
barricades erected by residents during the melee.