Military strives to avoid new riots

Military strives to avoid new riots

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesian Military Commander Admiral Widodo
A.S. pledged on Wednesday to intensify the early detection of
potential sectarian violence in the country.

"We will do everything to increase early detection to avoid
fresh riots which effect all communities; such destructive
measures will never solve the problem," he said after briefing
President Abdurrahman Wahid at the Bina Graha presidential office
here on Wednesday.

He said the sectarian conflict in Maluku, which has since
spread to North Maluku and West Nusa Tenggara, has claimed
hundreds of victims and caused uncountable losses.

Unrest has been spreading sporadically in various locations
across the country. An angry mob in West Nusa Tenggara's capital
of Mataram burned a number of churches, while residents have also
taken the law into their own hand on Bintan island, Riau
province.

"In Bintan, local people have ran amok demanding fair
compensation for land that was purchased from them cheaply in the
past," he said.

Asked about the possible involvement of third parties behind
the violence, Widodo said he would look into it.

Muhammad Lationo, secretary general of the Al-Khairat Muslim
organization, said in Palu, Central Sulawesi, that the sectarian
violence in Maluku would continue spreading to other provinces if
authorities failed to be strict in enforcing the law.

"Security apparatuses should be neutral and strict in
enforcing the law," he said.

Research and technology minister A.S. Hikam also urged that
the law should be strictly upheld.

"The security forces should act firmly against third parties
which want to create chaos," he said after visiting the Batamindo
industrial plant in Batam, Riau, on Wednesday.

Hikam observed that the sectarian violence was also related in
some way to a conflict between political elites.

Rev. Dominicus Pr, secretary general of Ende Diocese in the
predominantly Catholic island of Flores, called on the political
elite not to exploit religion for their own interests.

Arief Biki, chairman of the Laskar Muda Arief Rahman Hakim
Angkatan 66, called on Muslims to restrain themselves from being
provoked.

He also called on people to cease degrading the military, as
it would harm moral within the force when handling the various
crises.

Siti Hartati Murdaya, representing the Organization of ethnic
Chinese Indonesians (Gatabi), called on the Chinese community to
give donations in solidarity to refugees and victims of the
recent violence in Aceh, Maluku and West Nusa Tenggara.

Hundreds of Muslim youths from numerous Muslim organizations
staged a peaceful demonstration in front of the vice presidential
palace on Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of the conflict
in Maluku.

The demonstrators urged the government to investigate the
atrocities and punish all parties responsible for the conflict.
(04/prb/rms/yac)