Withdraw joint troops from Ambon

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