Ethno-religious clashes need to be addressed

Ethno-religious clashes need to be addressed

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) member countries need concerted efforts to deal with
ethnic and religious conflicts in the region, experts have said.

Ethno-religious conflicts are becoming a transnational problem
because people from other countries involve themselves for
sectarian sentiment, said Kamarul Zaman Askandar from Malaysian
University Sain.

Kamarul, who heads the newly established Southeast Asia-
Conflict Studies Network, was presenting to the media on Thursday
conclusions of a three-day regional workshop on ethnic and
religious conflict in Southeast Asia.

Experts from nine of 10 Southeast Asian countries and several
European countries participated in the workshop.

"Solidarity of Muslims in Malaysia and the other countries in
Southeast Asia on recent religious conflicts in Indonesia, for
instance, is very strong," he said.

Religious conflicts in Indonesia have been raging in Ambon,
Maluku. The Indonesian police have confirmed foreign involvement,
notably fundamentalist groups in Malaysia which send their
fighters to Ambon.

"Therefore, ethnic and religious conflicts in Indonesia and
elsewhere should be treated as a regional problem that requires
the participation of neighboring countries," Kamarul said.

Kamarul said that ethnic and religious conflict became a
serious threat to security in Southeast Asia as the result of the
economic crisis that has hit the region.

He said that Indonesia was the most prone country in Southeast
Asia for religious and ethnic conflicts.

"In religious conflicts, people believe that they will go to
Heaven if they die while helping people from the same religion
irrespective of nationality," he said.

Sociologist Lambang Trijono, who is also a researcher at PPSK,
said that the network would urge ASEAN leaders to form a special
commission on ethno-religious conflict resolution in the region.

"We will also encourage people in the region to form a joint
institution for the same purpose," he said. (44)