One person killed in brawl in Central Maluku
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
One person was killed in a brawl in Central Maluku, prompting authorities in the province to step up security two days before the South Maluku Republic (RMS) secessionist movement's anniversary on April 25.
The local military declined to elaborate on the incident and whether it was related to the prolonged sectarian conflict in Maluku or the secessionist movement's anniversary, citing the news blackout and curfew imposed by the provincial authorities under the state of civil emergency.
Antara news agency reported from the provincial capital of Ambon that besides the one fatality, who was not identified, three security personnel suffered minor injuries during the brawl, which began at 2 p.m. local time involving residents of the villages of Yaputi and Tehoru in Masohi regency.
"The situation in the villages is under control," Antara quoted Maj. CAJ Heri Suhardi, the spokesman for the Pattimura Military Command overseeing Maluku and North Maluku, as saying in Ambon on Tuesday.
He said local police and military had stepped up security in the two villages to prevent the violence from spreading to other villages in the regency.
The chief of the military command has ordered troops to take all necessary steps to handle the incident and to increase security in the regency to avoid the situation from deteriorating in the coming days, he said.
Besides imposing a news blackout, the governor of Maluku, in his capacity as the administrator of the civil emergency, has barred foreigners and non-governmental organization activists from the province, and has imposed a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew in anticipation of disturbances during the RMS anniversary.
RMS supporters have said they will raise the RMS' flag to mark the secessionist movement's 52nd anniversary.
Besides increasing security at strategic locations in Ambon, the local police have launched an operation to confiscate weapons and are also closely monitoring the activities of foreigners and activists in the city.
In line with the stepped up security measures, the authorities have detained RMS executive Alex Manuputty, who will be charged with treason for having urged resistance to local authorities.
The Malino peace agreement, which was signed by warring Christian and Muslim groups, is proving to be less than effective in ending the conflict in Maluku. This is partly because local authorities appear to be indecisive in enforcing the state of civil emergency, while some groups in the province have rejected the agreement.
Meanwhile, the secretary to the coordinating minister for political and security affairs, Maj. Gen. Sudi Silalahi, said during a visit to Maluku that security authorities would take harsh action against any RMS supporters who raised the secessionist movement's flag on April 25.
"The people who do not support RMS have no reason to worry," he said during a press briefing with the local media.
Silalahi, who was accompanied by Maluku Deputy Governor Paula Renyaan, said an adequate number of security personnel had been deployed to deal with any situation that occurred during the RMS anniversary.