Maluku conflict has claimed about 9,000 lives: Group

JAKARTA (JP): The sectarian conflict in Maluku which broke out in January 1999 has claimed about 9,000 lives, according to Pokja Maluku, a volunteer group aiding in the effort to end the civil strife.

Pokja Maluku chairman Amir Hamzah said after meeting with Vice President Hamzah Haz on Wednesday that it was impossible to calculate the exact number of victims as many people were afraid to report the loss of family members, mainly for security reasons.

"We will compare our figures (with those of other volunteer groups) when we meet with officials under the coordinating minister for political affairs and security," Amir said.

Pokja Maluku is one of several non-governmental groups (NGOs) formed to help solve the bloody conflict in Maluku and North Maluku. They are cooperating with the government.

Amir met with the Vice President to deliver his team's findings. Pokja Maluku asked the government to set up an official body to quickly resolve the communal conflict.

"The Vice President accepted the idea to set up a body to find a comprehensive solution to the Maluku conflict," Amir said.

The planned agency may consist of NGOs and the local government to reconcile the warring Muslims and Christians.

"It will mostly consist of local NGOs and the local administration as they are the ones who truly understand the situation in their area," Amir said, adding that the team should be small but effective.

The Vice President was appointed by President Megawati Soekarnoputri to handle the sectarian conflict in Maluku, North Maluku and Poso, Central Sulawesi as well as the ethnic conflict in Central Kalimantan.

However, Hamzah has yet to decide on what measures to take to handle the problem.

The conflict in Ambon, Maluku, broke out in 1999 following a street brawl between a public transportation driver and a passenger who happened to be of different religions.

The conflict spiraled out of control and spread to North Maluku. Aside from the fatalities, thousands of families in Maluku and North Maluku have been displaced.

The government has imposed a state of civil emergency in Maluku since April 2000 to calm the situation in the province.

The committee also urged the government to review the civil emergency status, because so far the policy had yet to produce the desired result.

"The civil emergency status has been enforced for one and a half years but the fighting continues and more people are getting killed," Amir said.

Last year, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) set up a fact-finding team when the conflict in the two provinces spread to other regions but it did not bring any significant results.

The commission sparked outrage among Muslim groups in August last year when it called for international intervention in a desperate effort to end the sectarian conflict. (dja)