Peace under threat
Peace under threat
Although not totally unexpected, the bomb blast on Wednesday
afternoon that shattered the two-month calm in Ambon, the
provincial capital of Maluku, has sent shockwaves through the
country. The incident is a stark reminder to Indonesians
everywhere that a lasting peace in Ambon, or in any other
conflict-prone area in the country, for that matter, cannot be
taken for granted, given the length of the conflict and the deep-
rooted sentiments involved. Besides, some of the minority
factions opposed to the Maluku peace deal reached in Malino,
South Sulawesi, in February, have made no bones about their
unhappiness with the arrangement and have vowed to continue their
resistance.
As for the vast majority of the Ambon population, it seems
safe to say that they deplore Wednesday's violent attack, which
brutally halted their hopes for a return of peace and normalcy to
their once idyllic city after years of bloodshed. The
celebrations, expressions of joy and parades by Muslims and
Christians in Ambon after the peace deal was signed are still
fresh in the memory, but Wednesday's bomb explosion has left all
that hope hanging in the balance.
Details of what exactly happened on Wednesday in Ambon
remained sketchy as of Thursday, with local security officials
pledging to do everything within their power to investigate the
case and find those responsible for the incident. In the
meantime, pending an official account of the bombing and the
subsequent attacks on a number of government offices in Ambon,
Indonesians are well advised to remain calm and refrain from
overreacting or spreading rumors about who may have been
responsible for the bombing.
As the attacks on the government offices and the renewed
emergence of communal divisions following Wednesday's bombing
clearly show, sowing fresh seeds of distrust is precisely what
the bomber, or bombers, aimed to achieve. Besides, the situation
in Ambon is a good deal more complicated than it might appear to
be on the surface, involving interests that have little to do
with what the Ambon conflict is generally made out to be -- which
is a conflict between religious or communal groups.
Surviving victims and eyewitnesses to Wednesday's bombing so
far seem to differ in their accounts of what actually happened.
According to some witnesses, the bomb was planted beneath a heap
of discarded boxes near the Kafe Nelayan II, a karaoke bar in one
of Ambon's busiest business areas. Other witnesses, however, say
the bomb was thrown from a passing car into the middle of a crowd
of people gathered in front of the establishment.
The one thing all the witnesses, as well as the authorities,
seem to agree on is that the blast was caused by a high-powered
device, such as likely could not have been assembled by a person
without training. At least four people were killed and 58 wounded
in the explosion. Hands, arms and legs were reportedly found
across the street from the explosion.
There is no need to say that this latest violence constitutes
a severe blow to the peace efforts that are underway in Ambon and
in the province of Maluku in general. It seriously threatens to
disrupt the peace accord, achieved with so much effort in
February between the two main warring factions, the Christians
and Muslims, and puts other peace deals elsewhere, such as in
Poso, in danger. Even now, parts of Maluku are still under a
state of civil emergency as the authorities try to familiarize
the population with the Malino peace accord.
Wednesday's bombing has made it abundantly clear, however,
that official calls for calm and common sense from the population
are simply not enough. If anything, it has shown that the
authorities, not only in Maluku but in Jakarta as well, are not
showing enough urgency in resolving the conflict once and for
all. The momentum provided by the spontaneous expressions of
communal cohesion in the wake of the peace accord was thus
allowed to pass by.
Most urgent of all, law enforcement in Maluku must be restored
and all of the stipulations contained in the Malino peace accord
must be realized. So far, the authorities seem to have done
little to make true their promise to do this and to rebuild the
judicial machinery necessary for effective law enforcement.
A truly professional and impartial police and military is
essential for ensuring peace and order in the community, so much
depends on the success of these two institutions in reforming and
reorganizing themselves. Credible non-governmental institutions
and organizations, such as Nahdlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah and the
Catholic and Protestant churches could no doubt do much to help
further the peace efforts in Maluku.
If there is any good to be had from Wednesday's bombing, it is
that it has brought to light the need for greater urgency on the
part of all those concerned with restoring peace in Maluku, Ambon
in particular.