Govt still searching for ways to end strife in Ambon

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."