Threat of disintegration in Maluku alarming: Ryaas

Threat of disintegration in Maluku alarming: Ryaas

JAKARTA (JP): State Minister for Administrative Reforms Ryaas
Rasyid said on Tuesday that threats of disintegration in Maluku
were much more dangerous than the separatist movements in Aceh
and Irian Jaya provinces.

"It's easy to deal with separatist movements, as international
law allows any government to use all instruments, including the
military, to handle such problems," Ryaas, who is also the
chairman of the Indonesian Public Administration Society (MIPI),
said while addressing a seminar on a year-end evaluation of the
government's performance here.

"But, we have not yet found the proper instrument for settling
the problems in Maluku. Therefore, we need leadership to settle
them," he added.

The minister said that the problems in Maluku, Aceh and Irian
Jaya were not merely security problems, but also administrative
and political ones.

"You cannot settle the problems in Maluku, Irian Jaya and Aceh
by merely sending in the military and Brimob (police mobile
brigade), or even genies.

"They must be settled by sending leaders who will hold dialogs
with the local people and offer solutions," he said, as quoted by
Antara.

Resign

Ryaas also confirmed on Tuesday that he was considering
resigning from the cabinet in early January.

"Officially, I have yet to send a resignation letter to the
President, but I am serious about possibly quitting the cabinet.
I'm considering doing it early in January," he later told
journalists after the seminar.

Asked about his reasons for quitting his post, Ryaas
responded: "I will announce them to the public in the immediate
future."

Ryaas, who along with Coordinating Minister for Political,
Social and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Minister
for Regional Settlement Erna Witoelar drafted the current
cabinet's composition earlier this year, conceded that he had
sent the President a six-page memorandum, expressing his
disappointment with the way the President had led the nation and
the government's poor performance.

"I sent the paper recently and have yet to receive his
(Abdurrahman's) response," he said, adding that he had also sent
a copy of the memorandum to Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri.

Rumors were rife that Ryaas, along with Susilo and Minister of
Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra, were planning to
resign. Only Susilo has denied the rumors.

Asked about the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle in the near
future, Ryaas warned that frequent cabinet reshuffles would only
cause political instability.

"I don't know whether Gus Dur is considering reshuffling the
present cabinet, but the President should bear in mind that
frequent cabinet reshuffles will certainly increase political
instability," he said.

Regional autonomy

Ryaas, who was state minister for regional autonomy in the
former national reconciliation cabinet, predicted that the
planned implementation of regional autonomy, which is slated for
Jan. 1, 2001, would fail because most regions were not yet ready
for self-government.

"The regions should not be blamed if regional autonomy fails
because the policy was completely initiated at the behest of the
central government," he said.

He conceded that he was disappointed that the President had
not appointed him as minister of home affairs and regional
autonomy in the current cabinet. He said he was also disappointed
with Minister of Home Affairs and Regional Autonomy Surjadi
Soedirdja whom he considered slow and not proactive in preparing
for regional autonomy.

"So far, the government has failed to issue regulations to
back up the regional autonomy law and the law on fiscal balance,"
he said. (rms)