Two military posts in Maluku, North Maluku vacant

AMBON, Maluku (JP): Two prominent military posts in the Pattimura Military Command overseeing Maluku and North Maluku are temporarily vacant following the transfer of the military police chief and the corps of military engineers chief on Thursday.

In a modest ceremony led by Pattimura Military Commander Brig. Gen. I Made Yasa at the command's headquarters in Batu Gajah, it was revealed that "the replacement officers are still being processed and will soon be appointed by Indonesian Military (TNI) Headquarters".

The outgoing military police chief at the command, Lt. Col. Ahmad Sulaiman, has been assigned as the military police chief at the Palembang-based Sriwijaya Military Command. And the outgoing chief of the corps of military engineers, Lt. Col. Edy Kuncoro, will be posted in the Department of Logistics at Army Headquarters in Jakarta, Antara reported.

"I believe it is an honor for every officer to serve in areas of conflict such as the Malukus, as it enriches our understanding of how to deal with security matters and quell unrest.

"But the achievement of any officer is not measured only by carrying out his personal duties, but also in his ability to express and perform orders from his superiors," Yasa said.

According to reports, the two officers are being transferred because they have been in their posts for too long.

Ahmad was in charge of the military police here when 14 police and military personnel were arrested for their alleged involvement in a rogue shooting at the Wijaya II Hotel in Batu Merah on Jan. 22.

During the ceremony on Thursday, Yasa warned all military officers in the area "to monitor their subordinates closely and to remain neutral in handling the conflict (in the Malukus)".

"I will personally hold commanders and officers responsible if there is any indication of partiality. There will be no tolerance for personnel becoming involved in or backing and causing unrest," Yasa said.

The general was referring to sporadic shootings and bombings that have escalated over the past several weeks in Ambon.

One of these incidents took place on Feb. 28, when gunmen sprayed bullets at a marine post in Halong Atas. The attackers reportedly came from the hilly Kebun Cengkeh area.

Communal violence between Muslims and Christians in the Malukus has been ongoing for over two years, claiming at least 8,000 lives, while 230,000 others have been forced to flee the clashes.

Separately, local residents have complained about the ineffective civil emergency post that was set up when a state of civil emergency was declared in the area on June 27 last year.

"The post is difficult to contact by telephone and the line never really works ... so it is hard whenever we need confirmation or want to report an incident," a resident of Urimesing said.

Maluku provincial spokesman Cak Saimima admitted the post did not function properly.

"We will temporarily move the post to the governor's office, but we have not yet decided on a new phone number or what facilities the post will offer," he said. (edt)