Laskar Jihad leader meets home minister

Thu, 27 May 2004, 00:00 WIB | Source: JP

JAKARTA: Home minister Hari Sabarno received on Wednesday
Ambon Mayor Yopie Papilaya and the former leader of disbanded
hard-line Muslim group Laskar Jihad, Ja'far Umar Thalib,
following renewed violence in Ambon, Maluku. Details of the
meeting at the ministry was not released.

Last month, Ambon again flared up, resulting in the deaths of
41 people and hundreds of others were injured. The violence
erupted after a celebration to mark the 54th anniversary of the
self-proclaimed South Maluku Republic turned ugly and sparked a
riot.

The Laskar Jihad was blamed for the 1999-2001 bloody sectarian
fighting in Maluku, as the group had deployed hundreds of members
from its Java headquarters. -- JP

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