ASSOCIATED PRESS, Sat Apr 20, 2002 8:21 PM ET
Fragile peace takes hold in Indonesia's Maluku islands, scene of
battles between Muslims and Christians
BY CHRIS BRUMMITT, Associated Press Writer
AMBON, Indonesia - A Muslim carpenter works alongside Christian bricklayers on the
reconstruction of a church razed in religious violence in Indonesia's Ambon city.
In the city's public library, children from both faiths take Internet and computer
classes together in a U.N.-funded project.
"Computers are important," says teacher Adityta Petraubun. "But it's more important
that the two communities begin talking."
Despite isolated violence, a recent peace deal between Muslims and Christians has
raised hopes that the conflict in the Maluku islands is coming to a close.
Since fighting broke out in 1999, up to 9,000 people have died in the archipelago,
known as the Spice Islands in Dutch colonial times. The bloodshed intensified in
January 2000, when 3,000 armed members of a radical Muslim group, Laskar Jihad,
arrived from Indonesia's main island of Java.
The islands, once the center of a thriving spice trade, used to be held up as a model
of communal harmony in Indonesia. Located 2,600 kilometers (1,600 miles) east of
Jakarta, the Malukus include more than 1,000 islands, many so small they are not on
maps.
While Christians are a minority in Indonesia — the world's largest Muslim nation — the
2.2 million people in the Malukus are evenly split between the two faiths.
Although Western governments largely ignored the slaughter over the past two years,
the presence of the Laskar Jihad is now alarming some in the U.S. administration.
Officials fear it could welcome stragglers from Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida movement
and transform the Malukus into a breeding ground for terrorists.
The group's commander, Jafar Umar Thalib, shares bin Laden's anti-Western stance
but has denied any links to international terror. He has often praised Indonesia's
ex-dictator Suharto and is believed to be close to a clique of retired and active
right-wing generals.
Analysts say the generals have helped Laskar Jihad foment violence in order to thwart
efforts to assert civilian control over the military.
"They're trying to make the country chaotic so the people say we need the army back
to protect us," said Des Alwi, a member of a government commission that has
investigated the origins of the bloodshed.
The peace agreement signed on Feb. 12 explicitly bans outsiders from traveling to the
islands. Citizens from 15 Islamic countries are prohibited from going to the region,
even if they possess valid visas.
A senior military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, conceded a handful of
Middle Eastern volunteers had fought in the war.
Despite Christian protests, the cease-fire allows for Laskar Jihad to stay in the
province as long as it surrenders its weapons. Maluku Governor Saleh Latuconsina
said the group was welcome, saying Christians' fears may not be "based on facts."
The group — which is believed to have shrunk to a few hundred men — has its
headquarters on a hillside overlooking Ambon bay and runs medical clinics, schools
and a radio station in the provincial capital.
The ferocity of the sectarian fighting has left its mark on Ambon, which is still divided
into Christian and Muslim sectors with a No-Man's-Land between. Much of the
commercial district lies in ruins and thousands of homes are little more than piles of
charred bricks and wood.
Earlier this month, a bomb blast killed seven bystanders in a Christian part of town. It
was the first major violation of the peace agreement.
Governor Latuconsina said the fact the blast was not followed by street battles was
proof that city residents were tired of fighting.
Simon Tabelessy, head of the church's construction committee, admits that plenty of
work lies ahead. But like many in the Malukus, he has put down his anger and
refuses to point fingers.
"These are signs that we can live together in harmony like we used to," said
Tabelessy, watching as an army of workers lay the bricks for the church foundation
and haul away what's left of the destroyed building.
Copyright © 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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