Peace campaign begins in Ambon

Oktavianus Pinontoan, The Jakarta Post, Ambon

On Friday, amid a calm atmosphere in Ambon, the Maluku provincial capital, the members of the Christian delegation to the Malino peace talks began relating the details of their accord with their Muslim rivals to clergy and religious leaders.

The 35-member Christian delegation, led by Tony Pariela, explained the two-day Malino meeting, and the peace accord it yielded, to hundreds of Christian and Catholic priests at the Maranatha Church in the city.

The delegation was scheduled to hold several such meetings to socialize the peace accord to Christian and Catholic adherents elsewhere in the city on Saturday.

The members of the Muslim delegation have yet to announce when they would follow suit, apparently because of the rejection they had received from certain Muslim groups.

Some 30 local Muslims staged a demonstration near the Pattimura airport in protest of the peace accord when the delegates arrived there.

Several even pelted stones at cars carrying the delegates from the airport to the governor's office. They rejected the peace accord which required all militiamen, including members of Laskar Jihad, to leave the province.

On Wednesday, two bombs exploded in the Mardika-Batumerah subdistricts but, so far, no groups have claimed responsibility.

The peace accord, which also required a thorough investigation into the supporters of the RMS (South Maluku Republic) separatist movement and of the Maluku Sovereignty Front (FKM), has stirred confusion and anger among Maluku Christians because they did not support the two underground organizations.

During the Malino peace talks, the two opposing delegations agreed to spend three months socializing the peace accord with their own supporters.

Maluku Governor Saleh Latuconsina and Deputy Governor Paula Renyaan were scheduled to socialize the peace accord among civil servants at their own office in the city on Saturday.

The local administration, in cooperation with local security personnel, was also slated to campaign for the peace accord, explaining it to students -- from the elementary to the university level -- as well as non-governmental organizations, and political parties in the province.

Meanwhile, Maluku Provincial police chief Brig. Gen. Soenarko Danu Ardianto reiterated that security forces would take strict action against all people and groups caught violating the peace accord and the rule of law.

"Both the police and the local military will take tough measures against any actions that oppose the peace accord," he said.

The 11-point peace accord, he added, was expected to end the three-year-old sectarian conflict that has claimed thousands of lives, an untold amount of money in material losses, as well as immeasurable psychological trauma among the local civilian population.

"Therefore, both rival factions and security authorities must make a strong commitment to abide by the peace accord for the sake of the province's future and humanity," he said.

"All sides should work hand in hand to make the peace pact a success," he added.