ASSOCIATED PRESS, Fri Apr 26, 2002 7:00 AM ET
Muslim militia leader tells followers to prepare for war in
Indonesia
AMBON, Indonesia - The leader of a militant Muslim militia in Indonesia's Maluku
islands told thousands of supporters Friday to prepare for war against a mostly
Christian separatist group.
Jafar Umar Thalib, the commander of the Laskar Jihad, urged his followers to reject a
recent peace deal between Muslims and Christians that had mostly stemmed three
years of religious fighting in the region.
"From today, we will no longer talk about reconciliation," he told around 5,000 people
at mosque in the Maluku provincial capital, Ambon.
Earlier Friday, security forces fired warning shots to prevent the crowd from moving
into a Christian section of the city. One person was injured, witnesses said.
Up to 9,000 people have been killed in the Malukus — located 2,600 kilometers (1,600
miles) east of Jakarta and known as the Spice Islands during Dutch colonial rule —
since fighting broke out in 1999.
Tensions have risen sharply this week in the run-up to anniversary celebrations by the
Maluku Sovereignty Front, a small separatist group campaigning to make the
southern part of the Maluku archipelago an independent nation.
Local Islamic groups accuse the front, which is mostly supported by Christians, of
encouraging attacks on Muslims. They use the front's presence to justify their own
militancy and have long demanded security forces crack down on it.
On Thursday, a Muslim mob torched a church after the front raised independence
flags in the city. At least 6 people were injured in clashes with troops.
"Our ... focus now must be preparing for war — ready your guns, spears and daggers,"
Thalib said.
Laskar Jihad joined the conflict in 2000 after arriving from Indonesia's main island of
Java. It has been accused of having links to Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s
al-Qaida network, something which it and Indonesian officials deny.
Indonesia is the world's most populous Islamic nation. However, in Maluku — which
has a population of about two million people — the balance between Christians and
Muslims is almost even.
Copyright © 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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