Human rights body starts inquiry into Maluku strife
Human rights body starts inquiry into Maluku strife
AMBON, Maluku (JP): A National Commission on Human Rights
fact-finding team started on Friday their inquiry into the year-
long sectarian violence across Maluku.
The team of four, comprising Bambang W. Suharto, Maj. Gen.
(ret) Syamsuddin, BN Marbun and Soegiri, held a closed-door
meeting with 24 representatives of Muslim and Christian
communities, locally called Tim Peduli Maluku.
No details were available on the content of the first of a
series of meetings arranged by the inquiry team.
Spokesman for the Muslim group Amir Latuconsina and his
Christian counterpart Jack Manuputty told reporters afterward
that they believed the prolonged riot was orchestrated by a
political conspiracy.
The team demanded that the government be transparent in
uncovering the cause of the bloodshed as well as who masterminded
the unrest.
"We want the conspiracy to be revealed to the public," Amir
said.
Commission members met with Maluku Military Commander Brig.
Gen. Max Tamaela, Maluku Police chief Brig. Gen. I Dewa Astika
and Governor Saleh Latuconsina on Thursday evening at the
latter's residence.
Tamaela said he took the inquiry team through riot-hit areas
on their 40-kilometer trip from Pattimura Airport to Ambon.
"I made them take a close look at the recent situation in
Ambon. They told me they were surprised to find no signs of
chaos," Tamaela said.
Tamaela said Bambang was complaining about the way media in
Jakarta had covered the communal clashes.
Another fact-finding team comprising House of Representatives
legislators is expected to arrive here on Saturday.
Despite Tamaela's claim that the situation in Ambon was now
under control, fresh violence erupted on Thursday when a mob
killed a man for unknown reasons on Jl. Sultan Hairun.
Reliable sources said that the victim was identified as
Muchtar Adam, alias Abutar, 42.
Military troops blocked the road following the killing as
people were seen gathering in groups. Bomb blasts and gunshots
were heard around the nearby Waihaong area, a resident said.
Tamaela said on Friday three people were detained in
connection to the fatal assault.
Minor clashes were also reported in the North Maluku districts
of Sosopu and Jailolo on Ternate island on Friday. Local
Defenders of Islam (FPI) leader, Wahdah Zainal Iman, said 15
people were injured by shots from arrows and homemade rifles in
the fray in Sosopu that erupted just after dusk.
Prior to the arrival of Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri
in Ternate on Monday, calm had apparently returned to the
predominantly Muslim island, which has now become a safe haven
for Muslim refugees from neighboring areas. The refugees are
taking shelter in vacant houses deserted by Christians, while
some are staying in government offices and even a movie theater.
Shops along the main thoroughfare of the small town have also
resumed business.
Provocateurs
In Jakarta, a Maluku reconciliatory team member, Tamrin Amla
Tomagola, dropped his allegations that youth activist Yorris
Raweyai and a former government official in Jayapura, Buce
Sarpara, masterminded the year-long conflict.
Tamrin admitted that he implicated the two people without
checking the validity of the information he received from "the
number two person in Maluku".
"I've called Buce, he is in Jakarta now, and asked for
forgiveness," he told journalists at the Commission for Missing
Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) office.
Tamrin, a sociologist who was raised in Halmahera, accused the
two, along with the Sultan of Ternate and former Ambon mayor Col.
Dicky Wattimena, of fomenting the bloodshed.
Yorris has planned to file a lawsuit against Tamrin, and so
has Sultan of Ternate Mudaffar Syah.
"I regret the way the media published the accusation without
contacting me for confirmation. I will cooperate with Yorris in
suing Thamrin," Mudaffar said in Jakarta on Friday.
Meanwhile in Semarang, Central Java Police chief Maj. Gen.
Nurfaizi said the security forces would not hesitate to shoot
rioters or anyone who wished to cause unrest in the province.
In another related development, Muslims in Central Java called
for unity and peace among people. In a statement signed by noted
Muslim organizations here, including the Nahdlatul Ulama, the
Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) and Muhammadiyah, the group
supported stern actions against provocateurs and rioters.
In Surabaya, Maluku Muslims and Christian community leaders
rallied on Friday, demanding the government to announce soon the
names of provocateurs in the protracted communal conflict, which
has claimed over 2,000 lives.
"We also support the military and police in taking firm
measures against any attempted unrest," Sam Abede Pareno, the
group spokesman, said in a meeting with East Java Governor Imam
Utomo.
In Yogyakarta, more than 3,000 Muslims gathered on Friday in a
mass Tablig Akbar prayer, which was called to express deep
concern over the ongoing sectarian conflict in Maluku.
The Jihad Registration post here has so far registered over
2,000 local Muslims who declared themselves ready to go to Maluku
for a jihad. It has also collected about Rp 21 million, of which
Rp 14 million has been sent to help refugees in Ternate.
(01/04/49/sur/har/nur/swa/edt/emf)