Jihad Force in Maluku illegal: Juwono

Jihad Force in Maluku illegal: Juwono

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Defense Juwono Sudarsono said the
Indonesian Military and National Police would no longer tolerate
the Jihad Force's armed activities in the country.

"We, the military and the police, will deal sternly with the
force's actions," Juwono said on Tuesday on the sidelines of a
seminar on management conflict here.

Juwono said he would ask the National Police chief and the
Indonesian Military commander to pursue stern legal action
against armed civilian forces anywhere in the country.

"No force, by any name, should be allowed to challenge the
authority of the government. No armed civilian force can ever be
allowed to do something like that," he said.

The minister said the military should remove armed civilians
from Maluku as quickly as possible. The presence of Jihad Force
volunteers in the volatile Maluku provinces has sparked
controversy, with government officials, including Juwono,
accusing them of worsening the situation there.

The leaders of the group have ignored calls for them to leave
Maluku, saying it was unfair treatment of volunteers who were
engaged in a humanitarian mission.

Meanwhile, as part of the effort to deal with the protracted
conflict in Maluku, Pattimura Military Commander Brig. Gen. I
Made Yasa ordered the Zipur V battalion back to its barracks in
the East Java Brawijaya Military Command. The battalion was
alleged to have taken "a partial stance" in handling the conflict
and to have involved themselves in attacks in the disputed areas
of Diponegoro, Mangga Dua and Airmata Cina on July 20.

The troops were sent back to East Java on Friday aboard a
naval warship, Yasa said.

"I've filed reports with their superiors and legal action will
be taken according to procedures," he said.

Yasa said he had received complaints from Maluku residents
about the behavior of the troops and had been collecting
information related to the incidents.

Maluku Police chief Brig. Gen. Firman Gani hailed the move,
saying the local authorities had pledged to expel all "unwanted
outsiders or parties", including members of the country's
security forces and the Jihad Force, who instigated unrest.

"We are also prepared if it turns out there is a hostile
reaction from those parties. We are ready expel them by force if
necessary.

"In line with that, the elite National Police Mobile Brigade
will receive around 16,000 new weapons to be distributed to
police personnel in Maluku, Irian Jaya and Aceh. The guns come
from Russia and China," Firman said.

Separately, the executor of the civil emergency status in
Maluku, Governor Saleh Latuconsina, asserted on Tuesday that
negotiations between him and the warring Muslim and Christian
camps were underway.

"I already have had four meetings with the Christian camp and
three meetings with the Muslim group. Next week we plan to have a
joint meeting between the two conflicting camps.

"In the meantime, those unwanted outsiders must leave Maluku
immediately so the situation will be much more calm and conducive
for holding peace talks," Latuconsina said.

Meanwhile, the secretary of the Indonesian Ulemas Council in
Maluku, Malik Selang, said he supported civil emergency
authorities' efforts to remove Laskar Jihad from the area.

"But I think the conflicts have been going on in Maluku long
before the arrival of Laskar Jihad. They are not the cause of the
problem here.

"So if they are expelled, isn't it a violation of human rights
because people are allowed to travel wherever they wish?" Malik
said.

Meanwhile, Governor Latuconsina issued on Tuesday an official
warning to two local dailies in Maluku, Suara Maluku and Siwa
Lima, for using language that "can increase the emotions of the
people and for condemning the security forces in Maluku".
(49/edt/dja)