Government ready to submit bill on Maluku development

JAKARTA (JP): The government will submit next week a bill to the House of Representatives that would divide Maluku into two provinces, an official said on Wednesday.

Ryaas Rasyid, director general of public administration and regional autonomy, said here on Wednesday the move was expected to ease tension in the northern part of Maluku.

He said the draft was given to the state secretariat on Wednesday for presidential approval before being submitted to the House.

"We expect the bill deliberation to begin as soon as possible, mainly to meet the serious demands that Maluku be separated into two provinces," he said.

If the bill is enacted into law, the two provinces will be named North Maluku and Southeast Maluku.

Ryaas also said that the government was completing another draft law to separate mineral-rich Irian Jaya into five provinces.

It remains unclear whether the two bills to establish new provinces in Maluku and Irian Jaya will be jointly deliberated at the House.

President B.J. Habibie had suggested that the plan to divide Maluku and Irian Jaya into several provinces be completed before the June 7 polls. But the proposal was moved back, out of fears that it would play havoc with the country's preparations for the elections.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed in Ternate municipality and North Maluku regency on Wednesday as business and social activities remained on hold following an overnight mass rally to push for a separate province from their southern neighbors.

Government offices, markets and shops were closed, with only a few public transportation vehicles operating, Antara reported. The local telecommunications and post offices, a photo studio and a restaurant were the only businesses seen open in Ternate.

Hundreds of military and police troops were seen guarding public buildings and facilities, while many others stood by on major streets.

Some shopkeepers told the news agency they were taking a break to anticipate unrest. "We were suggested to do so. We're afraid that irresponsible people will provoke the crowd to attack our businesses," Susanto, a shopkeeper in the Ternate subdistrict of Gamalama, said.

Thousands of people, including many students, marched through Ternate on Tuesday to demand the northern part of the troubled province become a separate province.

No violence was reported, although hundreds of police and military personnel were on guard as the demonstrators marched to the regent's office.

In their speeches, the students threatened to occupy all government offices in Ternate and North Maluku unless Jakarta heeded their demands.

Last week, Central Halmahera Regent Bahar Andili, North Maluku Regent Abdullah Assagaf and Ternate Mayor Syamsir Andili openly threw their weight behind the separation movement, saying they would give up their posts if the government rejected the demand.

The northern part of Maluku, which is predominantly Muslim, consists of three secondary-level administrative regions. Sectarian conflicts have jolted many sections of the province, including North Maluku, in the six months, claiming over 400 lives.(rms/amd)