Authorities blamed for new spate of violence in Maluku

The Jakarta Post, Ambon

Many blamed the Maluku authorities for the recent spate of violence that effectively derailed the Malino peace deal, saying the conflict that had claimed more than 6,000 lives had been prolonged because of the absence of action against law breakers.

According to them, the bloody attack on the Christian village of Soya that claimed at least 14 lives on Sunday would not have happened if security personnel had stepped up patrols in the areas prone to violence across the province.

Amir Amar, a local Muslim in the Diponegoro area in the provincial capital, said he was deeply concerned with the absence of a strong commitment from local security authorities to enforce the law and take stern action against those groups who have violated the peace agreement.

"So far, both the local police and military remain silent on the arresting of those raising the South Maluku Republic (RMS) secessionist movement's flag as well as on the Soya attack.

"Speaking frankly, there is something strange. Besides the absence of stern action, security authorities are also discriminative in handling extreme groups which should be handled properly in accordance with the peace agreement because RMS is prohibited to raise its flag while Lasjkar Jihad is allowed to hold a mass gathering," he said, referring to the Java-based militant Muslim group which witnesses allege was involved in the attack in Soya.

To be fair, he said, security authorities must ban all extreme groups that have incited their supporters to exert violence.

"Because of the lack of fair treatment, Saparua was rocked by a powerful bomb, the governor's office was burned, RMS supporters raised their flag and Jaffar Umar Thalib, chairman of Laskar Jihad, was allowed to speak freely at a rally of his supporters," he said.

The situation in Ambon was quiet but tense as many people were reluctant to leave home for fear of fresh violence following the Soya incident.

John Ruhulesin, chairman of the Maluku Protestant Church Youth Organization (GPM), expressed his fear of fresh violence in the future because of the absence of security from the authorities.

"Maluku must be cleansed of extreme groups, including the RMS, the Red and White Groups and Lasjkar Jihad, if authorities who are in charge of the civil state of emergency are committed to ending the prolonged conflict that has brought terrible suffering to the people," he said.

He added that the violent situation would persist if the government imposed martial law or upgraded the state of civil emergency to a state of military emergency because of the absence of neutral and professional law enforcers.

Ruhulesin accused Lasjkar Jihad of being behind the Soya incident. He said it was likely a reaction, because the group's call for war against RMS did not get a positive response from either the authorities or the local people.

Thamrin Elly who led the Muslim delegation to the Malino peace talks in February, concurred and said Lasjkar Jihad had no authority to declare war against RMS and yet the security authorities did not take any action against the organization.

"Only the government has the authority to declare and execute a war against secessionist organizations such as RMS or the Maluku Sovereignty Forum," he said.

Thamrin went on to say that the violence over the last two months was a cost that was being paid by the people of Maluku due to the absence of proper law enforcement.

He said authorities had spoken a lot about peace but done little.

To this point, Governor Saleh Latuconsina, Brig. Gen. Moestopo, chief of the Pattimura Military Command overseeing Maluku and North Maluku and Provincial Police Chief Brig. Gen. Soenarko have been conspicuously silent with regard to the absence of law enforcement.

Cak Saimima, spokesman for the provincial administration, declined to comment on the absence of tough security measures. He also chose silence when asked why the highest ranking officials would not speak about how they planned to end the conflict or why the Malino deal was not being implemented.

"How can I condemn the latest violence or order security authorities to exert repression, because, in fact, the people cannot be deceived," Antara quoted him as saying.

Major incidents in Maluku after Malino peace agreement Feb. 12, 2002

Feb. 13: Four bombs explode in Ambon.

March 2: Peace rallies in Ambon held by 3,000 Muslims and Christians communities ends in violence, leaving two people injured.

March 5: About 500 people demonstrate in front of the Maluku Governor's office in Ambon.

March 31: A bomb explodes in Ambon, killing four people and wounding 55 others, the Maluku Governor's office is set ablaze.

April 9: Weapons search by the military begins in Ambon.

April 15: 682 joint-troops from Bandung, West Java, are deployed to Ambon.

April 17: Chairman of the Front for the Maluku Sovereignty Front (FKM), Alexander H. Manuputty, is detained for questioning on the front's plan to fly the South Maluku Republic (RMS) flag on April 25.

April 18: About 100 FKM members rally in front of Maluku Police Headquarters, demanding the release of their chairman.

April 19: The Maluku Governor declares the province closed to foreigners and foreign non-governmental organizations.

April 25: Thousands of people in Ambon protest the flying of the RMS flag. A mortar blast wounds two people.

April 26: Two bombs explode in Ambon, no casualties are reported. Police arrest 27 RMS supporters, accusing them of flying the RMS flag.

April 28: Unidentified people attack the village of Soya in Ambon, killing 12 people and wounding 12 others.