When state law doesn't work, try customary law
POSO, Central Sulawesi (JP): A plan to resolve the three-year- old sectarian conflict in Poso by way of enforcing customary law has received strong backing from the House of Representatives in Jakarta.
Community leaders will try customary law after state law failed to bring about the desired results.
Members of the House of Representatives' Commission I on security affairs aired their support for the proposal at a meeting on Friday with non-governmental organization activists and community leaders.
"So far, we have made a big mistake when trying to solve local conflicts, namely ignoring customary law," said Astrid Susanto, deputy chairman of Commission I.
Astrid said that customary law should play a bigger role than state law in resolving such conflict because local people know their traditions best.
Community leaders grouped in the Central Sulawesi Customary Council will convene in Wuasa, North Lore subdistrict, Poso, on Aug. 13, 2001. Thirteen Commission I members are scheduled to attend the meeting.
Awaludin H. Limpi, chairman of the Palu Customary Council, said the Muslim-Christian conflict in Poso occurred partly because customary law was not being put into practice.
"Please convey this message to President Megawati," he told the legislators.
Not everyone is happy with the proposed scheme. Sofyan Lembah, a Muslim figure from the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu, was one of those who doubted it would be effective.
But Awaluddin was convinced that every possible way should be tried to end the bloody conflict which is said to have claimed thousands of lives.
The meeting between the legislators, NGO activists and community leaders turned into a heated debate when Abdullah Latopa, chairman of the Central Sulawesi Ansor Muslim Youth organization, questioned why House members only paid a visit to the area last week even though the sectarian conflict had been going on for almost four years.
Bahrun Rasyid, a House member from the TNI/Police faction shouted at Latopa, saying that the legislators did not want to hear criticism but rather to listen to local people's points of view.
No repatriation yet
Last week, the Poso administration gave the cold shoulder to a Muslim group's demand that it woo back the thousands of people who fled their homes during a recent spate of communal violence, mainly for security reasons.
Anwar M. Ali, chief of the Poso social affairs bureau, said Friday that Poso did not have adequate facilities to accommodate all the refugees.
"Unidentified gangs sometimes come and set fire to refugee camps in Poso," Anwar said. "Security is the basic reason. Besides, basic facilities such as electricity and potable water are lacking."
The calls for the repatriation of Poso refugees have come from, among others, the Poso Muslim Solidarity Forum, which sees the present situation in Poso as being conducive for such a move.
About 48,000 refugees live in various camps in Poso. Thousands of others have fled farther afield in Sulawesi. The local government has promised to disburse over Rp 1 billion in financial aid to the refugees. (24)