Habibie must visit Ambon, says scholar Nurcholish
JAKARTA (JP): President B.J. Habibie must visit the destroyed Ambon capital of Maluku as the disorder has degenerated into a national-scale problem, renowned scholar Nurcholish Madjid said on Thursday.
"Habibie has to show his good will and put an end to the people's misery," Nurcholish told The Jakarta Post.
"He could go to other places... so why not to Ambon? Horrible things have happened. Even high ranking officials in the area experience violence."
Maluku Governor Saleh Latuconsina's car window was shattered recently as the governor was traveling in Ambon. Earlier, two members of the National Commission on Human Rights were also unexpectedly trapped in a scene of quarreling residents.
The first thing to be done in Maluku is to conduct reconciliation between conflicting parties, Nurcholish said.
"Habibie must immediately go there to begin the process of psychological and social support... I don't know what else (can be done)."
Nurcholish said if the President failed to visit Maluku, it would display insensitivity to the tragedy.
Separately, Minister of Justice Muladi said on Thursday a decision to declare a state emergency in Maluku was up to the President.
Legislators are suggesting a need to declare emergency measures in the strife-torn province.
Muladi said Habibie was yet to discuss the issue. State of emergency measures would include media restrictions, raids, body searches and a curfew, he said.
"The advice of legislators and the Armed Forces Commander (Gen. Wiranto) will be taken into account for such an important decision," Muladi said, adding the decision did not need House of Representatives approval.
Police said on Wednesday at least 182 people have been killed since clashes between Muslims and Christians first erupted in mid-January. More than 500 others were injured.
In Ujungpandang, South Sulawesi, solidarity rallies again turned ugly when students, claiming to be from the Hasanuddin University and Teachers Training Institute, pelted dozens of Christians schools and churches with stones.
On Wednesday, students here beat passersby.
Protesters on Thursday threatened further action "if by March 17 no solution is reached".
Peaceful protests were held in Bogor, West Java, where 1,500 Ibnu Chaldun University students staged a sit-in, calling for an end to continuing violence in Ambon.
In Semarang and Purwokerto, Central Java, hundreds of students called for a holy war if problems in Maluku were not resolved.
In Surabaya, East Java, 50 Muslim leaders called on Minister of Security and Defense/Armed Forces Commander Gen. Wiranto to resign because of spiraling violence in the country.
Interviewed on SCTV, chairman of the largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama, Abdurrahman Wahid, said Governor Saleh should be replaced as he was the "source" of the violence. Saleh was responsible for an "imbalance" in the number of Muslim and Christian officials, Abdurrahman said.
Nahdlatul Ulama would "do anything in its power" to remove Saleh and any "superior" he may have instructing him in Jakarta, Abdurrahman said.
Former chairman of the second largest Muslim organization, Muhammadiyah, Amien Rais, told CNN television on Thursday that calls for a holy war were "too early."
Jihad (holy war) is a very sacred word, the chairman of the National Mandate Party said, adding that in the Maluku context it would only provoke more violence.
Various causes of the unprecedented violence have been raised, with officials citing jealousy, "extremists," the separatist movement of the Republic of the South Moluccas and "provocateurs." (edt/har/nur/24/30/45)