Peace elusive in Maluku despite accord

Peace elusive in Maluku despite accord

Octavianus Pinontoan, The Jakarta Post, Ambon

Peace remains elusive in Maluku province as a number of
militant groups continue to oppose the Malino peace accord, which
was mediated by the government last month to end the three-year-
old sectarian conflict.

Maluku Governor Saleh Latuconsina told the media over the
weekend that although most of the feuding parties had accepted
the 11-point agreement, a small number of groups still opposed it
and had launched a campaign to persuade other people to reject
it.

"As a matter of fact, there are still people who do not
approve of the agreement. I hope that people here do not rest on
their laurels," he said.

Overall, however, the situation in the province has been
gradually improving since the Malino agreement, which was reached
last month between 35 Muslim delegates and 35 Christian delegates
in Malino, 70 kilometers from Makassar, the capital of South
Sulawesi province.

Maluku Military Commander, Mustopo said that 80 percent of the
people of Maluku had accepted the Malino peace pact and only 20
percent oppose it. "That's our conclusion based on our field
research," he said, without identifying the opponents.

Since the peace accord was signed on Feb. 12, several hardline
groups have voiced their refusal through, among other things,
demonstrations in the provincial capital.

They include the Maluku Front of Muslim Defenders under Husni
Putuhena, the Special Task Force of Amar Maruf Nahi Munkar under
Muhamad Attamimi, Brig. Gen. (ret.) Rustam Kastor, Ustad Bahasoan
and Laskar Jihad Ahlussunah Wal Jamaah.

An interview broadcast last week on Suara Perjuangan Moslem
Maluku Radio (Voice of Maluku Muslim Movement Radio) -- which is
run by hardliners Laskar Jihad -- quoted Husni Putuhena and
Rustam Kastor as saying they entirely opposed the 11-point Malino
peace pact.

There are also opponents of the peace pact on the Christian
side, but they have only refused some points of the peace
agreement, not all.

They are the Maluku Sovereign Front (FKM) under the leadership
of Alex Manuputty and the South Maluku Republic (RMS). They
oppose point six of the peace pact, which refers to them as
Laskar Kristus (Christian Soldiers) and the Christian RMS, and
point three, which refer to RMS as a separatist movement.

Maluku Police Chief, Brig. Gen. Sunarko said that the police
were still investigating who were behind the recent violent
rallies. He refused to confirm reports that the police had not
made any arrests even though they knew the identities of the
organizers.

"We cannot arrest people without strong evidence," he said.

Daud Sangadji, a member of the Muslim delegation at the Malino
meeting, refused to comment.

Emang Nikijuluw, a member of the Christian delegation at the
meeting, said that after the meeting it was up the government to
enforce the peace pact.

The police have given both the conflicting parties three
months to disseminate the 11 points of the peace pact, which
requires, among other things, both rivals to disarm themselves
and militiamen, including members of Laskar Jihad and RMS, to
leave the province.