ASSOCIATED PRESS, Monday May 13, 2002 5:42 AM ET
Indonesia's deputy opens meeting of Muslim group accused of
al-Qaida links, violence
JAKARTA, Indonesia - Terrorism is not a problem in Indonesia, Vice President
Hamzah Haz declared Monday at a conference of Islamic militants accused of links
with the al-Qaida network and of launching bloody attacks against the Christian
minority.
Haz, who is second in line after President Megawati Sukarnoputri to lead the world's
most populous Muslim nation, opened a national meeting of the the Laskar Jihad
group in what he said was a gesture of Islamic solidarity.
Laskar Jihad's leader, Jafar Umar Thalib, is currently in jail and faces allegations of
inciting violence in the Maluku islands, 2,600 kilometers (1,600 miles) east of Jakarta.
As many as 9,000 people have been killed in fighting among Muslims and Christians
since 1999.
Some analysts accuse Laskar Jihad of being tied to Osama bin Laden (news - web
sites)'s al-Qaida network, something the group and Indonesian officials deny.
"There is no terrorism in Indonesia," Haz said in brief remarks to delegates, before
declaring the 10-day meeting open.
Indonesia has been criticized for allegedly failing to crackdown on suspected
international terrorists who are thought to have operated within its borders.
Some U.S. officials have speculated that al-Qaida has been active in Indonesia, where
90 percent of the 210 million population is Muslim.
Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines have arrested dozens of suspects they
accused of being linked to al-Qaida, including some Indonesian citizens.
Haz was widely criticized for visiting Thalib recently in jail. Rival politicians said he
was trying to win hardline Muslim support for elections in 2004.
There are around 3,000 Laskar Jihad fighters in the Maluku islands, also known as the
Moluccas. Analysts say the group, which is refusing to hand over its weapons or
leave the region, is the biggest obstacle to a lasting peace there.
Last week, Security Minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono accused the group of either
taking part in or encouraging an attack on a Christian village last month that left 13
dead. He ordered it to leave the islands.
More than 1,800 Laskar Jihad members attended the conference in East Jakarta.
Copyright © 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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