Reports of forced conversion in Maluku confirmed: Governor
AMBON, Maluku (JP): The administrator of the state of civil emergency in Ambon, Saleh Latuconsina, confirmed here on Wednesday some Kesui islanders in Central Maluku had been forced to convert religion.
Saleh, who is the governor of Maluku, was briefing the media after meeting with members of a joint team assigned to investigate a clash on Kesui island.
The joint team found evidence indicating that the islanders had been forced to convert religion, he said.
The islanders, who refuse the order by certain group of people, demanded to be taken off of the island, according to the team.
Saleh told the media the team had evacuated 170 residents of the ravaged island. "Sixty-three were from Kesui island and 109 from the island of Teor. There are still some 800 people who need to be transported off the islands, 700 of whom are Kesui islanders."
"It is not that easy to take people off of the island, but we have decided that they must be evacuated. We are talking about people's lives."
The joint team sent to Kesui island consisted of officials from the National Commission on Human Rights and the local religious affairs office, as well as members of the civil emergency administration.
Saleh also denied earlier media reports that 93 Kesui islanders had been killed in the November clash. "That's totally incorrect. There were only nine people killed. The refugees told us about it."
He called on the media not to exaggerate stories. "Please, don't file reports that can create new problems. Please be wiser and restrain yourselves."
According to earlier reports, hundreds of Utha villagers on Kesui island were taken hostage in November by a religious task force. These hostages were then forced to convert their religion on the threat of death.
Campaign
Meanwhile, the Makassar branch of the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) filed a police report against a group of Maluku Muslims for disrupting a Maluku peace forum on Monday evening.
The chairman of the LBH Makassar branch, Mappinawang, told The Jakarta Post here on Wednesday he filed a complaint against a man identified as Kasim Usemahu for deploying people to interrupt the Baku Bae peace forum, initiated by a group of Muslims and Christians from Maluku.
"Kasim and his friends seized all the papers to be presented at the meeting. They tore down the banners. They turned the peace campaign forum into chaos. We reported Kasim to the police because he committed an act of anarchy," Mappinawang said.
A private television reported on Wednesday Kasim's group also threatened the people gathered for the forum, forcing them to flee the meeting.
Kasim said those involved in the peace campaign were seeking to profit from the political enterprise, while ignoring the core problems in Maluku.
The Baku Bae campaign is aimed at bringing about a reconciliation between Muslims and Christians in Maluku. The campaign has held events in Yogyakarta and Surabaya without incident.
According to Kasim, what the people of Maluku need is the enforcement of the law, not reconciliation. "Just bring to court those who are instigating the attempt to separate Maluku from the Republic of Indonesia." (49/27/sur)