Amien supports martial law in restive Maluku
Amien supports martial law in restive Maluku
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) says the
government should not hesitate to impose martial law in conflict-
ridden Maluku if it deems it necessary to do so.
"If the situation worsens and martial law is deemed the most
appropriate way to address the conflict, why not?" Amien was
quoted by Antara as saying on Thursday.
His remarks contradicted earlier statements by Nahdlatul Ulama
(NU) chairman Hasyim Muzadi and Coordinating Minister for
Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, both of
whom opposed the imposition of a military emergency in Maluku.
Amien formerly chaired Muhammadiyah, the second largest Muslim
organization in the country after the NU.
At least 14 people were killed when a group of obviously well-
trained gunmen attacked the predominantly Christian village of
Soya on Sunday. An historic church was destroyed in the violence.
Amien, who is also the People's Consultative Assembly speaker,
criticized the government for its slow and lenient response to
the violence, which remains rampant in Maluku despite the peace
agreement signed by Christian and Muslim communities in January.
This lack of firmness had also resulted in the government's
failure to settle problems in Aceh and Papua, according to Amien.
"Our government is always inconsistent and does not have the
guts to take firm action as evident in the case of Poso," he
said, referring to the sectarian conflict in Central Sulawesi.
After a meeting with President Megawati Soekarnoputri on
Wednesday, NU chairman Hasyim asserted that martial law might
create more problems, instead of resolving the problem.
"The situation in Maluku can be controlled under the current
state of civil emergency as both legal and repressive measures
can be used," Hasyim said
If martial law is imposed, he said, fear would intensify and
more people would be killed.
"But the most critical thing is that the law will be ignored
because actions will be justified on the grounds of force
majeure," Hasyim said.
He suggested that the government ask police officers to
intensify their efforts to reduce the conflict.
Also on Wednesday, the National Resilience Institute
(Lemhannas) said that the state of civil emergency in Ambon was
no longer effective in resolving the prolonged conflict in the
restive province.
The state of civil emergency in Maluku was imposed in June
2000, one-and-a-half years after the Christian-Muslim conflict
broke out in the eastern province. To date, more than 6,000
people have been killed and 700,000 displaced.