Standoff in Maluku

Standoff in Maluku

The government is gravely mistaken in assuming that the
sectarian conflict in Maluku has ebbed or even been resolved just
because there have been fewer clashes between Christians and
Muslims in recent weeks. Ambon and the surrounding islands are
only experiencing an eerie peace which has been imposed by the
layers of troops segregating the two communities. For most people
in Maluku, life has barely returned to normal. They can hardly
expect to return to the days when Muslims and Christians lived
harmoniously side by side unless they find answers to some of the
riddles that have troubled the nation ever since the first clash
erupted in Ambon in January 1999.

To this day, no one has come up with a satisfactory answer to
the question of why the conflict erupted. Nor do we have any
reasonable answers to how the two communities, who had coexisted
peacefully together for generations, could fight one another,
killing more than 2,000 people and displacing hundreds of
thousands of people in the space of only 15 months.

The calm prevailing in Maluku today is the result of a
standoff which can only be temporary. The two communities are
still not interacting with one another. It is anybody's guess to
how long this situation will continue. Judging by recent
reactions from Muslim organizations in Jakarta, some people are
running out of patience.

Intimidating as it is, the call for jihad (holy war) by a
Muslim group in Jakarta last week highlights the public's growing
frustrations at the lack of progress the government is making in
restoring real peace in Maluku. We have yet to hear the results
of various government and independent investigations about the
reasons for the conflict. Results are essential not only to bring
the perpetrators responsible for the thousands of deaths to
court, but also to address the root of the conflict.

We have heard several theories for the conflict, including one
given by President Abdurrahman Wahid that has drawn sharp
criticisms from Muslim groups. The President said the violence in
Maluku was a reflection of the frustrations of Christians who
felt they had been shoved aside in governing the territory by the
influx of Muslim migrants over these past few decades. Another
theory explaining the violence in North Maluku says the conflict
was the result of centuries of rivalry between the Ternate and
Tidore sultanates and has nothing to do with Muslim-Christian
rivalry. The government's favorite theory, which is also the most
puzzling, is the presence of mysterious provocateurs from Jakarta
who are inciting the two communities to kill one another.

While we seem to have enough theories to explain the violence
in Maluku, there is a dearth of action on the part of the
government. There have been very few arrests, and even fewer
court convictions in connection with the violence. Restoring
peace and order alone is not enough to normalize life in Maluku.
The authorities must also be seen as being active in upholding
justice. This is the only way to regain the confidence of the
people and to heal their wounds.

If progress has been lacking that is because the government
appears to have done nothing at all on this front. This could
lead to more frustration, as already shown by some people in
Jakarta, which in turn could erupt into another round of clashes.
If that happens, we will go back to square one in what seems to
be an endless vicious cycle. Only the next time round, the
violence will likely kill much more people.