The Jakarta Post, Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Jakarta urges calm as more RMS flags found in Ambon
M. Taufiqurrahman and M. Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Ambon
While Jakarta attempted to put an end to the controversy surrounding the recent
waving of a separatist flag in front of the President, protests denouncing the incident
and displays of the flag grew Monday.
Supporters of the South Maluku Republic (RMS) interrupted a visit by President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Ambon, Maluku, last Friday, rushing a field during a
cultural event to unfurl the RMS flag, which is banned.
House of Representatives Speaker Agung Laksono appealed for calm in the wake of
the incident.
Agung also called on all sides, included security authorities, to stop blaming each
other for the episode.
"There's no need to put the blame on others... what the government should be doing is
searching its soul to find out why this happened," he was quoted by Antara as saying
on Monday.
He said that it did show that separatist movements still existed in Indonesia, and also
highlighted the lax level of security.
He recommended the dismissal of some officials deemed responsible for the security
breach.
Meanwhile, State Secretary Hatta Radjasa called for an end to speculation
surrounding the flag waving incident.
"The security authorities have launched an investigation into this incident after an
order from the President, let's wait for their conclusions and stop speculating," Hatta
told reporters at the State Secretariat.
Despite the calls, dozens of Maluku students staged a protest in front of the United
States consulate general in Surabaya, East Java, calling on the government to
apprehend RMS leader Alex Manuputty, who currently resides in the U.S.
In Makassar, South Sulawesi, Maluku students held a rally, calling on the National
Police chief and the Indonesian Military (TNI) chief to dismiss the Maluku Police chief
and leaders of the local military command for their failure to prevent the Friday
flag-waving incident.
In Ambon on Monday, flags of the RMS were found flying in six locations, including
one in the complex of state-run Pattimura University.
Locals who discovered the flags contacted local military commands and the flags
were soon taken down.
Despite such incidents, calm prevailed in Ambon and its surrounding areas Monday.
Ambon Police chief Adj. Sr. Com. Trilulus Raharjo said no security disturbances had
been reported.
In a related development, police have apprehended an alleged supporter of RMS in
Ambon. The man, identified as Iremias Faar, was arrested after the police discovered
he was wearing a rubber bands in white, red, blue and green, the colors of the RMS
flag.
Antara also reported Monday that the government has set up a team to investigate the
embarrassing incident and that members of the team had flown to Ambon on a
fact-finding mission.
Among the team is secretary to the Coordinating Minister for Security and Political
Affairs Lt. Gen. Agustadi Sasongko Purnomo.
Following the incident last Friday, an argument broke out between TNI commander Air
Chief Marshall Djoko Suyanto and State Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief Syamsir
Siregar over procedural oversight.
Djoko said BIN intelligence officers should have known the RMS supporters were
planning to disrupt the President's visit and made an effort to prevent it.
A BIN official defended the institution, however, saying intelligence officials had briefed
security authorities, the TNI and the National Police on the possibility of a protest
involving supporters of the separatist movement.
Police have arrested 35 people in the wake of the incident. Twenty-eight people were
dancers in the ceremony, while seven others are supporters of the RMS.
All contents copyright © of The Jakarta Post.
|
