Religious leaders join forces in preventing riots

Religious leaders join forces in preventing riots

JAKARTA (JP): In a fresh call for harmony, leaders of five
religious communities pledged on Saturday to maintain peace and
support for strict measures against perpetrators of violence.

Muslim representative Habib Ali bin Abdurrahman Assegaf,
Protestant representative Rev. Sularso Sopater, Catholic
representative Aloysius O., Hindu cleric Nyoman Purwaka and
Buddhist priest Bhiksuni Firyaguna signed a pact to reject
anarchic conduct and all acts prone to causing chaos under the
mask of religious interest.

"We will do our best to preserve peace among people of
different religions. We support the police to take the strictest
measures against those proven to provoke religious or sectarian
conflicts," Habib told 500 people packing the South Jakarta
Police station.

Attendants of the gathering included Jakarta Governor
Sutiyoso, city police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman, who
also sponsored the meeting, and representatives of political
parties and religious groups.

Sectarian clashes remain unabated in Maluku, with the death
toll in the year-long conflict estimated at over 2,000. This week
also saw religious-related violence in Mataram, the capital of
West Nusa Tenggara. Jakarta was also rocked several times by
interreligious enmities.

The five religious leaders said in the joint statement that
they would comply with "check and recheck procedures" should they
hear reports of alleged religious harassment.

Habib stressed that a religion could pose a danger if its
believers lost their common sense.

"People now tend to lose rationality when they hear that
people from a different religion are trying to convert others to
theirs. Just stick to your own religious beliefs and maintain
peace," Habib said.

In his address, Sularso, who chairs the Indonesian Communion
of Churches (PGI) told how he and former Indonesian Ulemas
Council (MUI) chairman Ali Yafie reacted to leaflets which were
recently circulated to cause rifts between Muslims and Christians
in Greater Jakarta.

"One of the leaflets was about a genocide of Christian
Ambonese in Greater Jakarta. I immediately rang Ali Yafie, who
told me that it was spread by irresponsible parties," Sularso
said.

Aloysius criticized the government for allowing the "small
incidents to go unnoticed".

"Problems start from small incidents. When we neglect those
small things and people are provoked, they will spiral out of
control and there is no stopping them," he said.

Meanwhile in Ambon, Maluku Military Commander Brig. Gen. Max
Tamaela denied on Saturday allegations that military personnel
were involved in the prolonged sectarian clashes in the province.

"The allegations are baseless because the reason for the
presence of security personnel here is to secure peace and
maintain order," Tamaela was quoted as saying by Antara.

Tamaela also denied rumors that he was not fully supported by
his personnel, saying that there had been "solid and firm
cooperation" between the commander and personnel.

There are now 15 battalions of military reinforcements in
Maluku and North Maluku, plus two battalions of police-augmented
troops.

Tamaela said at least eight people were killed in Friday's
violence between Muslims and Christians in the Sahu district area
of Jailolo, North Maluku.

According to the official figure, at least 771 people have
been killed in the religious violence in North Maluku since late
last month. The province's MUI office claimed that the death toll
surpassed 2,000 in the weeks of conflict alone.

Minor clashes were reported in North Maluku despite the heavy
presence of security personnel. At least 25 people were injured
during the latest fighting in Malifut district in Ternate.

The violence came amid a joint operation by the military and
police to seize weapons in Ternate and on Halmahera island on
Saturday.

Security Commander of North Maluku Lt. Col. Widagdo Adi Wijoyo
said the operation was initiated following an order from the
Maluku Military chief.

"It will become a routine and will be carried out thoroughly
from Ternate to other areas on Halmahera island," Widagdo said.

Security personnel confiscated five homemade guns and dozens
of sharp weapons from motorists and motorcyclists, but no arrests
were made.

Widagdo denied that the raid was conducted due to the planned
visit of Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri to Ternate on
Tuesday. (ylt/emf/byg)