`Government lacks leadership to end religious conflicts'

`Government lacks leadership to end religious conflicts'

Jupriadi, The Jakarta Post, Makassar, South Sulawesi

Around 400 religious leaders began a two-day national meeting
here on Wednesday with participants levying strong criticism
against the government for its failure to bring a complete end to
sectarian violence in eastern parts of the country.

They attributed outbreaks of renewed violence in the Maluku
capital of Ambon and in the Central Sulawesi town of Poso to the
government's slow response in addressing the core problems
underlying the conflicts.

At least 5,000 innocent people have been killed in Ambon since
the religious violence broke out in January 1999, while over
2,000 people have died in Poso, Central Sulawesi, since the
strife started there in 2000.

Hasyim Muzadi, chairman of the country's largest Muslim
organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), said Wednesday that the
government was "too slow" in dealing with the sectarian fighting,
prompting the killings to continue.

According to Hasyim, the government lacked "leadership and
consistency" in its efforts to completely stop the conflicts
across the country, particularly in upholding the law against the
perpetrators.

"If there is no firm leadership and legal certainty in those
conflict-torn areas, the situation will remain difficult (to
resolve)," Hasyim said during the opening session of the forum,
which was also attended by Minister of Religious Affairs Said
Aqil Hussein Al-Munawwar and National Police chief Detective
Insp. Gen. Erwin Mappaseng.

Hasyim also said the government should not hand over the job
of handling the conflicts to other parties, especially religious
leaders.

"The flame of war should be put out together. But in this
case, the government should remain at the forefront," he
asserted.

Other religious leaders called the government a "fire-fighting
team", which only moved to extinguish the fire after it had
already caused extensive damage.

The participants also urged the government to stop making the
issue of religious clashes a "political commodity" to serve its
own interests.

This was one of the factors that had brought about failure in
putting a complete end to the bloodshed, they added.

In order to help halt the unrest in Poso and Ambon, the
government must prepare "real solutions" to address the basic
needs of local residents, including providing jobs, and
rehabilitating and rebuilding public facilities.

Peace deals were signed between warring factions one year ago
to end the fighting in Poso and Maluku. However, sporadic
violence has continued since then.

A bomb blast on Monday was the latest violence in Ambon to
test the peace accord. At least three people were wounded as the
explosion led quickly to stone-throwing and the torching of a
vehicle.

Meanwhile, Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja of the Indonesian
Bishops' Conference (KWI) said that today was not the time to
blame each other.

"The most important thing is that the nation, especially the
religious figures who are gathered here, should rebuild trust and
mutual respect among the followers of different faiths," he said.

"I hope this meeting will be meaningful and further strengthen
our solidarity and brotherhood," he added.

The two-day meeting was participated in by around 400
religious figures from all the 30 provinces. It was opened by the
religious affairs minister on behalf of President Megawati
Soekarnoputri, who canceled her visit to the South Sulawesi
capital of Makassar and Poso over security concerns in Jakarta
following persistent antigovernment protests.

In a message read out by Minister Agil, Megawati called for "a
spirit of equality" among religious leaders so as to promote
mutual respect and brotherhood among both them and their
followers.