Govt backs firm action against Ambon provocateurs

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

As if to prove its commitment to law enforcement in Maluku, the central government has given the green light for authorities to arrest and charge provocateurs in the troubled province.

Minister of Defense Matori Abdul Djalil expressed support on Monday for the move taken by security personal in Maluku to prosecute key figures allegedly responsible for violence in Maluku.

"I think what the police have done -- arresting South Maluku Republic (RMS) separatist movement leader Alex Manuputty and commander of the (Muslim-based) Laskar Jihad organization Ja'far Umar Thalib -- was correct as there had been intensive consultation in the Cabinet meetings prior to the arrests," Matori said after meeting with President Megawati Soekarnoputri, along with Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla.

Matori was referring to the arrest of Ja'far in Surabaya on Saturday and the arrest of Alex Manuputty in mid last month.

Meanwhile, Jusuf Kalla said there should have been no problems with the arrest of Ja'far.

"It (the arrest) is part of efforts to uphold the supremacy of law ... I have met with Ja'far before and he himself had called for the importance of legal supremacy in the province," Jusuf said.

"So, he (Ja'far) must accept the move taken by the Maluku authorities," he added.

Ja'far was arrested at the Juanda Airport in Surabaya, East Java, on Saturday on his way to Jakarta from Ambon, the capital of Maluku.

Matori admitted that there were parties dissatisfied with the move taken by the Maluku authorities, but said such action was necessary as long as it complied with existing laws and was applied to anyone implicated fairly.

"Those inciting unrest in Maluku must be punished," he said.

Later in the day, Matori asked outsiders to leave the conflict zone in Ambon, saying that security restoration attempts there were none of their business.

"Many people claim that they promote human rights and religious cooperation but it is for the sake of their own political interests. They never think whether their actions have caused the deaths of others or not," the minister told reporters prior to attending a security coordination meeting.

"In accordance with the recommendation issued during the Malino II peace accord, I asked these outsiders to leave the conflict zone of Ambon because their assistance in maintaining security is no longer their authority ... it's the responsibility of the security authorities." Matori said.

Present at the security meeting were, among others, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda and National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar.

Asked about the alleged involvement of security forces in the latest violence in Ambon, Matori said: "Stern sanctions must be imposed on the parties involved in or those who had incited the violence."

Meanwhile, Da'i Bachtiar maintained that the recent attacks on Soya village in Ambon had a strong connection to Ja'far's comments during Friday prayers in Ambon on April 26.

"We don't have to see the impact (of his speech) ... provoking people is a crime," Da'i said.

Asked whether the videotape, which the police had, could be considered evidence, Da'i said: "Yes ... a videotape is a lawful evidence in court."

Unlike Matori, Da'i, however, refused to comment on whether the police would take the initiative in removing Laskar Jihad members from the restive area as part of the implementation of the Malino II peace agreement.

In a related development, a lawyer representing Ja'far said on Monday that they would file a pretrial lawsuit against Da'i for the police's decision to arrest Ja'far.

"We'll file the lawsuit with the South Jakarta District Court for the police's baseless arrest (on Ja'far Umar Thalib)," Mahendradatta said.

Meanwhile, a leader of the Pemuda Ka'bah Muslim Youth Movement asked security authorities to release Ja'far if they did not have enough evidence to support the allegations.

"If the police do not have strong evidence against him, Ja'far should be released," said Lukman Hakim Hasibuan after meeting with Vice President Hamzah Haz at the vice presidential palace.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Saleh Saaf said on Saturday that Ja'far would be charged with Article 160 of the Criminal Code on agitation and Article 130 of the Code on slanderous remarks against the president and vice president.