Madurese association calls for restraint

Madurese association calls for restraint

JAKARTA (JP): The nationwide Madura Community Association
(Ikamra) on Tuesday urged all Madurese affected by the bloody
pogroms in Central Kalimantan to exercise restraint and allow the
matter to be resolved through the legal process.

"Basically, what the Madurese want is for the government to
take rigorous legal action and not allow this incident to go
unresolved as that would set a very bad legal precedent," Didik
J. Rachbini, a noted economist and executive of Ikamra, told a
media briefing late on Tuesday at the Hotel Peninsula.

Didik said that the group had also concluded that the conflict
was not religious in origin.

"Conflicts can be sparked in various ways. We agree that this
matter has no connection with religion," he said.

The group further condemned the "systematic and continuous
killing spree" targeting Central Kalimantan people of Madurese
descent and demanded that the government protect residents from
anarchy "so that the pogroms will not spread to other areas".

Also present at the unusual event were former Bukit Barisan
military chief Maj. Gen. Rahman Gaffar, former attorney general
Soedjono Chanafiah Atmonegoro, political lecturer Amir Santoso
and former army chief of staff Gen. (ret) Hartono.

Hartono, however, did not join the media briefing and left
shortly after the closed-door meeting was over.

Didik further said that a crisis center would soon be
established to monitor developments in respect of the bloody
riots that have forced thousands of Madurese to flee to East
Java.

"If there are Madurese hoodlums involved, they must be
arrested. But, that doesn't mean the existence of thugs can be
used as an excuse to decapitate innocent people," Didik added.

General Rahman stressed that the number of casualties in the
Sampit and Palangkaraya pogroms was around 900, much higher than
officially reported.

"These victims are a mix of indigenous people and migrants,"
Rahman said, while urging people in Java to be compassionate and
willing to adopt Madurese children left orphaned as a result of
the disturbances.

Separately, Coordinating Minister for Social, Political and
Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told a hearing at the
House of Representatives (DPR) that so far 277 bodies had been
identified following postmortem examinations.

"But that number does not include those in the jungles and
other remote areas, so the number could be higher," Susilo said.

"We realize that every time there is a conflict it will mean
another lost generation for the country," Didik added. (02/edt)