Tamaela offers words of wisdom to successor

AMBON, Maluku (JP): Outgoing Pattimura Military Commander overseeing Maluku Brig. Gen. Max Tamaela had some words of advice for his appointed successor in the violence-torn province: "Keep your troops neutral!"

Tamaela, who has seen the death toll climb to over 2,000 in the one and a half years of violence in Maluku and North Maluku, warned that if Col. I Made Yasa "fails to maintain his troops' neutrality, chaos and riots will continue".

I Made Yasa is due to take over from Tamaela on June 27.

"I am glad that I Made Yasa is the one who will be replacing me as he was once a battalion commander of the 733th Airborne Marsariku. So he knows the character of the Maluku people well," Tamaela said here on Monday.

Tamaela will be promoted to take up the post of Indonesian Military (TNI) commander of the Army's territorial center.

"From my personal experience, I've never treated the warring camps based on religion," he said, while acknowledging that there were members of the security force who were involved in instigating riots.

"We consider the ones who initiated the attack as rioters and their destructive acts are considered criminal," he said, adding that it was also not easy to stop instigators.

"You know that it's easy to talk about rather than to implement it."

Tamaela further expressed hope that the arrival of a new commander would usher in a period of peace.

"I don't doubt his capacity and ability ... And hopefully because he does not belong to a certain religious camp of the warring faction the riots will be over soon," Tamaela added.

Religious tension has pitted Muslims against Christians in the area. I Made Yasa is Hindu.

But later Monday night Antara claimed that a raid had occurred on Duma village, Halmahera Island, which killed 114 people.

No independent confirmation could be obtained by The Jakarta Post on the report which according to the news agency occurred in a one-hour attack earlier in the day. Around 70 people were reportedly injured in the attack and 292 houses were set on fire.(48/49/edt)