The Ambon case

The Ambon case

From Republika

I was deeply concerned when on Dec. 4, 1999, I read in a daily a news report titled Armored vehicles to be sent to Ambon. According to this report, National Police chief Gen. Roesmanhadi stated that he would send armored vehicles in two or three days to help restore security in Ambon.

My concern is not unreasonable. In my opinion, sending armored vehicles to Ambon will not help settle the problem but will, instead, trigger a new problem. It must be borne in mind that the Ambonese are not enemies that the government must deal with by deploying armored vehicles.

The conflicts in Ambon are connected with religions and ethnicity, particularly between the Muslim community and the non- Muslim community. In fact the problem is already clear. It is now left to the government to be able to accommodate the two conflicting camps. The conflicts erupting in Aceh are different because the Acehnese want their own freedom and would like to secede from the Republic of Indonesia. In this case, armored vehicles may be deployed to help settle the problem.

The conflict in Ambon can be settled through compromises to be reached by the religious leaders. The government should act more as a mediator. So, in this case, it is best for the government to resort to a religious approach and bring the conflicting camps to a negotiating table. Of course, in this respect, the communities concerned must also show their sincere willingness and awareness, without which it will be difficult for the government to find a solution to the protracted conflict.

FERNANDES HUTASOIT

Jakarta