The Jakarta Post, May 01, 2006
Maluku, Kalimantan strife 'lingering'
Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The smoldering, bloody sectarian conflict in Maluku and ethnic warfare in Kalimantan
may flare up again unless the government addresses injustices and lingering
tensions, an expert says.
Addressing a two-day international workshop on conflict resolution and peace-building
here last week, Thung Ju Lan of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said
despite the relative calm, the situations in Maluku and Kalimantan remain shaky.
He said the conflicts were far from over because the causes of the problems remained
largely unsettled.
"The sectarian conflict in Maluku has had its main roots in a weak government, a
widening gap between rich and poor, and injustice," he said.
Thung said the widening economic gap between indigenous people and migrants
could fuel fresh fighting in Maluku. That gap, he added, is linked to the continued
exploitation of forest and mining resources, and prolonged segregation between
Muslims and non-Muslims.
Christianty, a participant from Ambon, Maluku, said Ambon was "looking peaceful but
segregation has frequently caused misunderstanding between the two communities.
"Local elections have frequently sparked conflicts as politicians fight for support from
communities of different faiths and ethnic backgrounds," she said.
She also pointed out that the relatively new regional autonomy had brought about
meaningful changes in local governance.
"Jakarta has decentralized authority in many fields and disbursed trillions of rupiah for
the province, but the poor remain poor while the rich are getting richer."
Thung, who conducted research on conflicts in Maluku and West Kalimantan from
2002 through 2004, said similar conditions remained in West Kalimantan. In that
province, the local government ignored core problems that incited ethnic conflict
between indigenous Dayak and Malay groups and Madurese migrants from Java.
"Dayak and Malay people attacked Madurese people because the latter were trying to
control the business sector, after other sectors had been dominated by the
bureaucracy and security authorities and foreign companies," Thung said.
Thung said the government and bureaucracy had to reform themselves to prevent the
two provinces from seeking independence in the future.
"The two provinces have been in need of leaders of integrity who treat people equally
regardless of their ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds. Bureaucratic reform has
to be carried out by recruiting the best people. Segregation must end; legal certainty
should be upheld and security authorities must maintain their neutrality," he said.
All contents copyright © of The Jakarta Post.
|
