Govt still searching for ways to end strife in Ambon

Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

After meeting with local leaders on Friday, the Indonesian government has decided to modify its efforts to broker an end to the inter-religious fighting in Maluku province which has claimed thousands of lives.

Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo and Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla told reporters after the meeting that the government will press on with plans to unify leaders of the combatants -- Muslims on the one side; Christians on the other.

"Reconciliation becomes primary target ... bringing them together serves as an important effort to this end," Susilo said.

Initially, the government had planned to apply in Maluku a peace agreement identical to the one it had used to end clashes between Christians and Muslims in Poso, Central Sulawesi.

The first initiative began with a reconciliation meeting in Malino, South Sulawesi, by bringing leaders of the warring factions together.

After meeting with local leaders from Maluku, however, the government concluded it is clear that the situation there was far more complex than that in South Sulawesi.

"Of course, the situation in Maluku is different from Poso," Susilo added; government officials, he noted, will visit Maluku again before the end of the month to begin formulating another kind of peace plan.

Officials from the central government have scheduled their next visit to Maluku from Jan. 20 through Jan. 23.

Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno, Attorney General MA Rahman, Maluku governor Saleh Latuconsina, Maluku Police Chief Insp. Gen. Farouk Mohammad, and Pattimura (Maluku) Military commander Brig. Gen. Mustopo also attended the meeting.

In the conference, the officials evaluated the 18-month-long state of civilian emergency in the region, as well as the peace plan to end inter-religious conflict.

The prolonged conflict in Maluku has claimed more than 9,000 lives since it first began on Jan 19, 1999, while hundreds of thousands of others have been displaced, many to refugee camps.

In an effort to curb the conflict, Jakarta imposed a civilian state of civilian emergency in April 2000, which still remains in effect today.

Governor Saleh told reporters that the opposing camps had all but completely stopped attacking each other. Acts of terror by unidentified elements, however, continue to grip the province.

"I guess there is a group of people who do not want to see peace in Maluku; these people, for the sake of their own interest, antagonize the two warring groups," Saleh said, referring to a recent explosion on board the California boat.

"I think they like to keep the conflict alive so that they can benefit from it," Saleh said, adding that police officials are investigating these unidentified groups.

Maluku Police Chief Farouk Mohammad added that the prolonged religious-based conflicts had created "a new field" for "opportunists" to reap economic profit in the trade of weapons and drugs.

Farouk, however, declined to reveal the police's investigation results so far, saying it was not yet complete.

Asked as whether the group had political motives, Farouk replied: "Thus far, we don't see it."

Analysts from some corners, however, have accused the security forces of being complicit in creating chaos in Maluku.

Pattimura Military chief Mustopo denied that the military was involved in the violence.

But he acknowledged that "any element of the military may be involved," in "business interests."