Maluku situation may worsen, right actions needed

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Law enforcement was absolutely and urgently needed to restore security and order as well as to make the Malino peace deal effective in war-torn Maluku, said a Muslim leader.

"The situation in Maluku will certainly continue to worsen should the military, police and other law enforcers remain divided and unprofessional and no actions are taken against extremist groups who have incited the local people to commit violence," Solahudin Wahid, deputy chairman of the largest Muslim organization Nadhlatul Ulama, told The Jakarta Post by telephone here on Thursday.

The conflict that erupted on Jan. 19, 1999 has gone on almost non-stop up to the present due in large part to an alleged lack of neutrality or professionalism among security forces and law enforcers based in Maluku.

The security personnel are from many parts of the country, including Maluku. The forces from outside of Maluku are generally Muslim and have been accused of taking that side and the local forces often side with the Christians.

Solahudin, popularly known as Gus Sola, gave the interview after his arrival along with other religious leaders from a two- day peace mission in Ambon on Monday and Tuesday.

Also attending the peace mission were Hasyim Muzadi, chairman of NU, Goodwil Zubir, secretary general of Muhammadiyah, A.A. Yemangoe, an executive of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI), Rev. Ismartono SJ, chairman of the crisis center of the Indonesian Bishop Conference and Faisal Ismail, secretary general at the Religious Affairs Ministry.

Despite the gradually improving coordination among religious leaders, he said, the National Police leadership should take concrete actions to work with the Maluku police, especially among Muslim and Christian personnel and the military leadership should also take similar steps in order to maintain their neutrality and professionalism.

"It's impossible for security authorities to take action against certain people or extreme groups who have actively disrupted the peace if they are not neutral and don't act professionally," he said, citing local witness accounts of continuing friction among the security personnel.

Solahudin, also a younger brother of former president Abdurrahman Wahid, expressed his deep concern over the absence of action against those violating the law.

"The condition in Ambon is lawless... Thousands of people have been killed over the last three years but no action has been taken against those committing the butchery. Indonesia is a law- based country, legal action must be taken against violators for justice to be done," he said.

He said law enforcers should immediately arrest all violators of the law, including those involved in the recent burning of the governor's office and a handful of recent bombings.

Solahudin criticized authorities in Maluku for frequently acting too late against the extreme groups in the province.

"Alex Manuputty (chairman of the separatist Maluku Sovereignty Forum which is linked to the South Maluku Republic) should have been arrested far before Wednesday because his activities are against the law and have created unrest among the people," he said, referring to the recent arrest of the separatist leader.

He reiterated that security authorities should prosecute to the fullest any of the extreme groups who rejected the persuasive approach as part of the Malino peace agreement signed by conflicting groups on Feb. 12, 2002 in Malino, South Sulawesi.

Gus Sola also said that, in addition to the remaining law enforcers who remain divided by their religion, many prosecutors and judges had left the province "because the situation remains uncertain and it was impossible for them to make money from their profession amid the conflict."

"The alternative solution we will propose to the central government is to provide incentives for security personnel and law enforcers stationed in the province, in addition to some internal reshuffling," he said, adding that his team would hand over its recommendations from the peace meeting to President Megawati Soekarnoputri so that it could be followed up on immediately.

He said his team would also recommend the central government to urge moderate Muslim and Christian leaders to promote religious harmony among the people and encourage them to be more tolerant of different faiths.

"The prolonged conflict has something to do with the exclusivity of religious thought and practice among the people so that they become easily influenced by certain groups trying to create disturbances," he said.

Separately, Hasyim Muzadi said in a press conference that the government should not hesitate to act against any side or extreme group who attempted to stray from the tenets of the Malino peace agreement that gained support from a majority of the people in the province.

"Separatism is a source of conflict in Maluku. The separatist movement has been trying to manipulate religious tension between Muslims and Christians to produce and exacerbate conflicts in Maluku," he said.

Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla hailed Alex's arrest in an attempt to show Maluku security authorities' an example of what it takes to combat separatism.

He called on the security authorities to take precautions in an anticipation of the RMS supporters' reaction to their leader's arrest.

"Separatism can no longer be tolerated and authorities must get tough against those violating the law," he said.