Peaceful end sought for Maluku conflict

Peaceful end sought for Maluku conflict

AMBON, Maluku (JP): Pattimura Military chief Brig. Gen.
Mustopo stated on Thursday that the prolonged conflict in the
Maluku islands could not be settled with repressive measures from
the military and police.

Speaking at the Pattimura Military Command Headquarters in
Batugajah, Mustopo emphasized the need to approach both Muslim
and Christian leaders.

Mustopo, who took over the post only one month ago, said he
had observed that the settlement of the conflict, which has
claimed the lives of both civilians and members of security
forces, did not depend only on the military (TNI) or the police.

"The provincial administration, the people as well as the
media must play significant roles in finding peace in the
province.

"It is hard to seek a solution to the prolonged conflict in
Maluku without involving all the elements as the hostility
between the conflicting groups has not abated and locals are not
free of the fear, worry and trauma," Mustopo said. He admitted,
however, that the intensity of the conflict had been decreasing
gradually on a daily basis.

He explained that the military and the police had decided to
take persuasive steps by using a personal and human approach.
"Only if this approach fails will the military take stern
measures."

He cited that fostering reconciliation between the two groups
was one of the military's main tasks in Maluku and North Maluku
provinces.

The reconciliation will run smoothly if civilians in both
provinces are not armed, Mustopo said, calling on all those who
were in possession of any weapons to voluntarily hand them over
to security forces.

According to the latest data, over 600 automatic weapons are
estimated to be in the hands of civilians in Maluku and North
Maluku as only 200 of the approximately 800 stolen from the
arsenal of the National Police's Mobile Brigade in Tantui on June
23, 2000 had been recovered.

In a related development, Pattimura Military Chief of Staff
Col. Safrudin Sumah said that TNI chief Adm. Widodo AS had
instructed the Pattimura Military Command to thoroughly
investigate the killing of three members of the Intelligence
Detachment of the Pattimura Military Command at the end of May in
the OSM area of Nusaniwe subdistrict in Ambon.

"We will ask the police for an initial report on the
killings," Safrudin said. (49/sdt)