'It's impossible to bring total peace in Malukus'

AMBON, Maluku (JP): Noting the complexity of interests and security problems in the Maluku provinces, those responsible for keeping the peace there said it would be next to impossible to establish "a zero violence" situation in the troubled region.

Pattimura Military Commander Brig. Gen. I Made Yasa and Maluku Police chief Brig. Gen. Firman Gani, who both oversee security affairs in Maluku and North Maluku provinces, recently talked to The Jakarta Post concerning the latest situation in the territory which has been the scene of over two years of bloody conflict.

"Basically we are wary about the fragile calm in Maluku. Many contributing factors are involved here, from the social-cultural character of Maluku people who are known to have hot tempers to the fact that there are complex security problems and that distrust among all elements of society runs high," Firman Gani said.

He cited the high level of the illegal possession of weapons and presence of outsiders such as Lasykar Jihad as adding to the problems.

"The conflict in Maluku has not been handled properly by the government and has been allowed to roll on like a giant snowball," he said.

The people's distrust of each other ran high, with both Muslims and Christians being involved in a killing spree, Firman added.

"They are losing faith that the central government will help them to end this.. and at the same time many security forces' personnel are also involved in the conflict because, basically, the Maluku conflict affects all Indonesians. The police chief, the military commander, the governor.. all of us are emotionally involved in the conflict," he said.

Over two years of bloody communal violence in the Maluku provinces has resulted in almost total devastation for the more than 2 million people living in the ravaged territory.

Before the conflict, the total population of Maluku and North Maluku provinces was around 2.4 million. Around 8,000 people have been killed and some 230,000 others have ended up as refugees, not only in the Maluku provinces but also in other provinces.

Little progress has been made since the declaration of a state of civil emergency on June 27, 2000, except for some reduction in tension in North Maluku province.

Sporadic violence and rogue shootings, however, are still the order of the day in parts of Ambon and Seram islands in Maluku province.

Yasa asserted that the geographical conditions of the Maluku provinces, the large number of illegal weapons in circulation and the presence of "recalcitrant squads" stirring up chaos were all contributing factors leading to the conclusion that "violence cannot be suppressed to the zero-level in Maluku."

"Ambon and Seram islands are relatively strategic, so that intruders and assailants can easily reach the other areas, and it is quite easy to obtain or to make any type of weaponry here," he explained.

Yasa cited the incident that occurred shortly before the declaration of the civil emergency last year when the police arsenal in Tantui was looted by rioters on June 23, 2000.

Both Yasa and Firman agreed that the key to solving the Maluku problem was to reduce the involvement of rogue members of the security forces during conflicts.

"Effective and firm measures by the Joint Battalion drawn from the three elite military forces and regular rotations of duty must be imposed," Yasa said.

"In this situation we do not need evidence. All we need are indications that a soldier or police officer is partial. Then we'll get rid of him. So far, I have transferred 600 police officers, dishonorably discharged 16 and imposed sanctions on 87 others," Firman asserted.

Yasa said that the Joint Intelligence Unit, comprising members of Kopassus, Paskhas and Marines, would be pulled out of Maluku in early March.

"Probably TNI headquarters have other plans. After that we will have to rely on the local intelligence unit. Let's hope that no disturbances break out," he said.

Firman further said that the security approach in the area must go hand in hand with the economic and social rehabilitation of the provinces.

"Building houses may not be appropriate yet as the most important thing at the moment is to restore their economic life. That is the only way they will forget about the conflicts," he said. (Edith Hartanto)