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.