Withdraw joint troops from Ambon
The peace-seeking endeavors initiated by conflicting parties in Ambon, Maluku, and sponsored both by the civil emergency local government and several communities have failed. The killings of Muslims in Ambon have raged again. This time joint troops under the direct command of Pattimura 16th Military Commander Brig. Gen. I Made Yasa opened fire upon Muslim citizens.
The joint troops attacked a compound of ruko (shop-houses), hotels as well as motorists. Those who fell victim were residents, some police officers, a prospective haj pilgrim and a councilor who happened to be a reporter. According to mass media reports, in that tragedy a dozen people were killed by gunfire on Jan. 21 and Jan. 22, 2001.
The Mujahidin Council, as an institution striving for the upholding of syari'ah Illahiyah (Islamic law), was extremely concerned over the brutal shootings, because viewed from syar'i point, the tragedy is barbaric and subject to qishas (capital punishment). It appears that the apparatuses' hatred of Muslims is still apparent, and the Islamophobia phenomenon is still contaminating the military brass so they have assigned a joint battalion to be seemingly prepared to terrorize and kill Muslim people in Ambon.
One of the indications of the apparatuses' hatred and Islamophobia can be found in a report of Republika of Jan. 22, 2001:"... that Media Indonesia reporter Darul Quthni Tuhepalle was detained for seven hours. During the detention, Quthni was kicked, hit and cursed; his physical condition was wretched and he looked shocked. In spite of it, he remembered that the apparatuses had condemned Muslims by using the term Islamic troublemaker ..."
Another brutality occurred on Jan. 22, 2001 when the joint battalion attacked Batu Merah ruko and fired arms at random, resulting in nine people being killed and 23 wounded.
Their arbitrary actions have been denied by Brig. Gen. I Made Yasa, by saying that the joint military battalion acted according to the rules, instructions and procedures. This indicates that those actions were legitimate based on instructions from the commander. Consequently, the Mujahidin Council hereby appeals to the government as follows:
First: to immediately withdraw the joint military battalion in Ambon and Maluku in general, and replace it with a neutral and professional troop capable of overcoming the religious war which has lasted for more than two years.
Second: we also urge the government to discharge Pattimura 16th Military Commander Brig. Gen. I Made Yasa and to replace him with another officer who is more professional and humanistic.
Third: we demand that the minister of defense show his resolute stance regarding this brutal gun firing, as often practiced when facing problems in Aceh, because the slaughter committed by the joint military battalion is not the first killing.
We hope that this brutality practiced by Indonesian Military personnel receives serious attention from the government, the TNI commander and the minister of defense.
IRFAN S. AWWAS
Chairman
The Council of Mujahedin
Yogyakarta