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
;; 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