'Soldiers in Maluku must shed ethnic, sectarian sentiments'

'Soldiers in Maluku must shed ethnic, sectarian sentiments'

Oktovianus Pinontoan, The Jakarta Post, Ambon

The Army's Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) Commander, Lt.
Gen. Ryamizard Ryacudu, told soldiers deployed in the sectarian
hot spot of Maluku to shed their prejudices in favor of their own
ethnic groups and religions, and, instead, remain loyal both to
the state and the Indonesian Military (TNI).

"If you prefer fighting for your place of origin or religion
to being loyal to the state and the military, please leave the
service," Ryamizard told the troops of Kostrad's 503rd Battalion,
which is currently deployed in the province, at the Mahardika
field in the city on Tuesday.

Ryamizard, who was accompanied by the Army's Special Forces
Commander, Maj. Gen. Amirul Isnaeni, and the commander of the 2nd
Kostrad Division, Maj. Gen. Djoko Santoso, was in Ambon to
observe the situation in the province in line with planned TNI
exercises to be held in the city in the near future.

"I appeal to the governor, who is in charge of the state of
civil emergency, the military commander and the provincial police
commander to consolidate internally both as regards locally
recruited security personnel and those who have been deployed to
the province.

"They must be asked to decide whether they love the Indonesian
unitary state and the military or prefer to fight for their
religion and place of origin. Both the military and the police
must be neutral. The security forces are the nation's last line
in defending the country's sovereignty as well as protecting its
people regardless of their religion and ethnic background," he
asserted.

He said a firm stance was essential and discipline had to be
imposed by the Maluku authorities on all security personnel as
part of the effort to end the prolonged conflict in the province
that has claimed more than 6,000 lives and displaced more than
750,000.

"The provincial police chief and the military commander are
not my subordinates, but I nevertheless need to say this," he
added.

He explained that he has long striven to implant the idea of
neutrality in Kostrad personnel. All Kostrad soldiers were
obliged to give their first loyalties to the state and the
military, rather than to their religion, he said.

"Soldiers who are from Java, Aceh, the Batak country, Ambon or
Papua are all Indonesians and they are all equal. Those who fail
to adhere the neutrality principle will be drummed out of the
Army," he said.

Ryamizard's statement has come somewhat late, however, as it
is now generally realized that the military has contributed to
the prolonged conflict since it first erupted on Jan. 19, 1999.

The conflict spread quickly through the whole province and
North Maluku with the alleged involvement of security personnel,
both from the local police and military, taking sides depending
on their ethnicity and religion.

The involvement of security personnel may be deduced from the
widespread circulation of military standard issue weapons among
militiamen from the two conflicting sides, including the radical
Muslim organization, Laskar Jihad.

The situation has been further complicated by frequent clashes
and firefights between military units, and between military units
and the local police.

All of this has rendered it even more difficult for the Maluku
authorities to enforce the law and put the Malino II peace deal,
which was intended to end the conflict, into effect.