Maluku calm during Idul Fitri

Maluku calm during Idul Fitri

JAKARTA (JP): Idul Fitri was generally solemnly celebrated
over the weekend, including in the riot-torn Maluku capital of
Ambon.

Thousands of people flocked to the Al Fatah Grand Mosque in
the riot torn city on Saturday to perform their Idul Fitri
morning prayers, braving rain that stopped just before the prayer
began at 7.30 a.m. local time.

Security personnel, as well as armored vehicles and fire
engines, were seen posted in conflict-prone areas across the
town. In anticipation of a power failure, the state electricity
company provided a diesel generator in the vicinity of the
mosque.

Governor Saleh Latuconsina and devout Ambonese Muslims took
part in the service, which was held in the city's largest mosque.
Many congregation members who could not get a space in the packed
mosque had to be content praying outside.

In his sermon, head of the Maluku chapter of the Indonesian
Council of Ulemas R.R. Hasanusi called on Muslims in the province
not to respond to any attempts at provocation.

He said Muslims should exercise self-restraint and promote it
among their milieu, so that a feeling of safety and trust among
the Maluku people could be established.

Hasanusi urged Muslims in the archipelagic province to brush
aside animosity, desire for reprisal and past memories of the
year-long bloodshed, which has so far claimed over 1,000 lives.

"The success of Muslims in the fasting month should be
reflected in their daily life, particularly in the way we protect
ourselves from provocation that is aimed at extending the
conflict," he said.

After holding an open house on the first day of Idul Fitri at
his official residence, President Abdurrahman Wahid spent the
second day of the holiday in Padang, the capital of West Sumatra.

No Cabinet ministers accompanied the President, who was with
his wife Sinta Nuriyah, on the one-day working visit to Padang,
the first he has made since taking office last October. He held
talks with civilian and military officials, traditional and
religious leaders, as well as nongovernmental organization
activists.

Acting Governor Dunija, speaker of the provincial legislature
Arwan Kaspri and Bukit Barisan Military Commander Maj. Gen.
Affandi greeted Abdurrahman at Tabing airport.

Affandi looked surprised and unprepared when Abdurrahman asked
him about the latest security situation in Aceh, which also falls
under his command.

"The situation in Aceh is looking good Pak," Affandi said.

Violence continued to rock the province of Aceh. A traffic
police station in Panton Labu in North Aceh was hit by a Molotov
cocktail bomb thrown by an unidentified group on Sunday, leaving
policeman Second Sgt. Gunawan injured.

Aceh Police spokesman Lt. Col. Sayed Husaini, as quoted by
Antara, blamed alleged separatist rebels for the afternoon
incident. He said the attackers escaped on a motorcycle.

However, Sayed said in general that Aceh, the home to 4.2
million people, was under control.

The raid followed the overnight killing of two police
personnel by armed rebels on the morning of Idul Fitri on
Saturday.

Second Sgt. M. Afif and Second Sgt. M. Chodori reportedly died
instantly after a group of five unidentified armed men sprayed
bullets at the Simpang Ulim Police precinct in East Aceh at about
9:45 a.m., immediately after they had performed their Idul Fitri
prayer.

Two other police personnel, Second Sgt. Meridian and Second
Sgt. Feri Juniawan, survived the incident with gunshot wounds and
were rushed to Langsa General Hospital.

"The bodies of M. Afif will be buried in Lubuk Pakam (North
Sumatra) and M. Chodori in Magelang (Central Java)," police
spokesman Sayed Husaini said.

After the shooting, the five attackers, who were brandishing
long rifles, escaped from the scene, Sayed said.

A few hours later, at about 11:30 a.m., a fatal incident
involving three officers occurred in Sigli, Aceh Pidie regency.
Military member First Sgt. Syarifuddin was killed after he
mistakenly identified two security personnel as suspected rebels.

"It was reported that Syarifuddin, who was not wearing
uniform, was riding a motorbike when he encountered two men, who
also happened to be plainclothes officers, riding a motorcycle
from the opposite direction.

"He (Syarifuddin) got suspicious and ordered them to stop. If
not, he said they'd be shot," Sayed said, adding that shortly
afterwards the two military personnel got off the motorbike and
opened fire, killing Syarifuddin.

They only learnt about Syarifuddin's identity later in the
day.

"We cross-checked his identity data in Pidie Police Precinct,"
Sayed said.

The killings over the weekend brought the province's death
toll in the first nine days of the new century to at least 10.
(50/edt)