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)