The Jakarta Post, 5/8/2002 3:26:41 PM
Hamzah denies any deal with detained Laskar Jihad chief
JAKARTA (JP): Vice President Hamzah Haz said Wednesday hestruck no deals
during his controversial meeting with an arrestedLaskar Jihad Islamic militia chief, who
is accused of inciting amassacre of Christian villagers in the Maluku islands,
reportssaid.
Hamzah, who is also a chairman of the Muslim-based UnitedDevelopment Party
(PPP), drew criticism for his 90-minute meetingTuesday with Laskar Jihad (Jihad
Force) leader Jafar Umar Thalibin a cell at National Police headquarters.
"I went there as a Muslim. Part of Islamic unity is Islamicbrotherhood ... my visit was
within that framework," Hamzah toldreporters before attending a Cabinet meeting led
by PresidentMegawati Soekarnoputri on Wednesday.
"There were no political affairs discussed ... there were nopolitical deals," he added as
quoted by AFP.
A Muslim leader who accompanied Hamzah during the meeting,Eggy Sujana, has
said Hamzah and police asked Laskar Jihad tosurrender weapons and withdraw from
Ambon, the Maluku provincialcapital, the news agency reported.
Eggy said Jafar agreed to do so if the government guaranteesthat similar firm action
was taken towards the supporters of thenow-defunct Republik Maluku Selatan (RMS)
separatistmovement.
Jafar has been charged with insulting the president and vicepresident and inciting
people to attack a Christian village nearAmbon on April 28. Thirteen people were
killed.
The attack was the worst bloodshed since Christians andMuslims signed a pact in
February to end three years of sectarianfighting in the eastern island chain. More than
5,000 people havedied there since early 1999.
Laskar Jihad opposes the peace pact.
The militia sent thousands of fighters to the Malukus fromMay 2000, vowing to defend
Muslims against Christians. Securityforces made no move to stop them. The
government under thenpresident Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid had tried to ban the
groupfrom entering Maluku, but to no avail.
Police arrested Jafar last Saturday over comments heallegedly made during a sermon
in Ambon on April 26, two daysbefore the attack.
All contents copyright © of The Jakarta Post.
|
