Rehabilitation in Maluku

Rehabilitation in Maluku

Like other provinces located in the eastern part of Indonesia,
the province of Maluku is a good example of a neglected or
'forgotten' region. Maluku has always been forgotten during
peaceful or normal situation, but ravaged during chaos.

According to history, Maluku was the main reason why the Dutch
came to Indonesia 350 years ago.

Three years ago, the province, which was said to have been a
model for religious tolerance, turned into a killing field in a
prolonged inter-religious conflict. Thousands of Maluku people
were killed by their fellow Maluku people.

The internecine strife apparently jolted the decision-makers
in Jakarta and reminded them that the province of Maluku still
existed. The government then imposed a state of civil emergency
on Maluku, which lasted until last Monday when the emergency was
officially lifted.

The lifting of the emergency was based on the fact that the
situation in Maluku had improved significantly. However, Minister
of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said the lifting of the emergency
did not mean the withdrawal of the military, which have been
helping the police maintain security and order.

Will the lifting of the emergency end the problems in Maluku?
The answer is no. The neglect that has held the province back
must be eliminated from Maluku first.

As a former conflict zone, Maluku needs the presence of the
military and police to guarantee the success of the
rehabilitation program.

Maluku is like a volcano which could blow at any time.
Therefore, development must be better planned and implemented in
this province.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta

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ANAPk..r..
OrherOps-MidEast-peace
The Middle East road map to peace
JP/6/peace

The Middle East road map to peace

The American-sponsored peace road map is now in greater
jeopardy than ever before. Whether Washington and Tel Aviv like
it or not, it is the Palestinians who decide on who becomes their
prime minister and, consequently, their interlocutor in
negotiations to settle the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. ...
There is no reason a new Palestinian prime minister can live up
to Washington's expectations. In fact, he would be reluctant to
act according to American or Israeli wishes, so as not to be seen
as a puppet of either. The road map cannot hinge on the American
perception of the Palestinian prime minister or sidelining
Arafat, who is after all the leader of the Palestinian struggle.
Washington must exert pressure on Tel Aviv to make sacrifices for
peace by stopping their attacks on the Palestinians and ending
their occupation of Palestinian lands. Otherwise, the road map
will go nowhere.

-- New Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia