AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, Monday April 29, 2002 3:46 PM
Indonesian military chief says weapons proliferation sparks
violence
Indonesia's military chief blamed the proliferation of weapons in strife-torn Maluku
province for renewed violence that has shattered a fragile two-month old peace.
"This is one of the causes of the high potential for conflict," armed forces (TNI)
commander Widodo Adisucipto told reporters, a day after masked attackers dressed
in army fatigues slaughtered at least 13 Christians, including a baby.
The attackers wore uniforms and carried military standard M-16 rifles when they
raided two villages near the provincial capital Ambon at around 4:00 am, witnesses
said.
Church leader Pastor Bohm said survivors told of attackers shouting 'Allah Akbar'
(God is Great) as they rampaged through Soiya and Ahuru villages, brandishing
swords and firing guns, mortar and home-made bombs.
National police chief General Da'i Bachtiar said police were monitoring developments
to assess whether military law needed to be imposed, but said such a move was
premature.
"Not so far," Police General Da'i Bachtiar told journalists at the presidential palace
here when asked whether the current civilian emergency status would be upgraded to
a military one.
Ambon was tense but quiet on Monday and shops and businesses had reopened,
residents said.
Bachtiar said police would question the militant Laskar Jihad (Jihad Force) about
Sunday's massacre.
"We will continue to investigate which groups were behind the attack," the police chief
said.
The Islamic militia group has been blamed for attacks on Christians in Maluku since
thousands of its fighters were sent to the region in May 2000, more than a year after
deadly fighting broke out between Christians and Muslims.
The weekend massacre is the worst in Maluku since a shaky peace had begun to
settle over the island chain following the signing of a government-brokered peace
accord in February to end the three year old conflict which has already claimed over
5,000 lives and left over half a million people homeless.
Tensions were re-ignited after a bomb blast in Ambon killed at least four people earlier
this month. The blast triggered the torching of the governor's office.
Republic of South Maluku (RMS) separatists defied government bans and set RMS
flags aloft to mark the group's 52nd anniversary Thursday, prompting angry street
rallies by Muslims who accuse the small Christian-dominated group of fanning
sectarian tensions.
More than half a dozen people have been injured in violence on Thursday, Friday and
Saturday. str-bc-bs/nj
Copyright © 2001 AFP. All rights reserved.
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