The Jakarta Post, May 14, 2007
Ongoing conflict in Ambon
Hyginus Hardoyo and M. Azis Tunny, Jakarta, Ambon
If it is a coincidence, then it may be a case of one too many. The latest series of
bombings in the Maluku capital of Ambon happened just as Jakarta was busy with
preparations for the recent, much-awaited Cabinet reshuffle, designed to help improve
the image of the government.
It is interesting to note that acts of provocation in Ambon and other conflict-torn cities
seem to take place whenever the political temperature heats up in Jakarta.
The start of the three-year conflict in Ambon between Muslims and Christians in 1999
coincided with a fierce power struggle in Jakarta after the fall of Soeharto, while the
violence in 2004 came at the same time as the preparations for the July 5 presidential
elections.
Four explosions were recorded in Ambon and another one in Central Maluku regency
over the last three months, but no deaths have been reported. Six people were injured
during the bomb blast at the Mardika bus terminal on April 25, 2007, when
independence supporters were marking a key anniversary of the movement.
Bomb attacks are not new in Ambon. Since the eruption of conflict in 1999, they have
affected practically all regions of Maluku province. Grenade explosions or bomb blasts
were frequently heard during attacks by one religious community on the other.
Even as the situation began to steadily recover, explosions and blasts could still be
heard from time and again.
The politicians managed to infect the people with sectarian zeal and continuously
strived to incite hostility.
The experiences of the bloody conflict between the two religions in Ambon clearly
reveal that the both sides were losers.
Data from the Maluku Interfaith Agency show that nearly 90 percent of Maluku
province has been segregated along religious lines (between Muslims and Christians).
In Ambon, only two areas -- Wayame and Lata subdistricts -- are still mixed.
However, the effort to forge reconciliation based on improved awareness among those
who have suffered terribly as a result of the communal clashes was increasingly
showing results. Local people were again able to enjoy a sense of security, although
it had been paid for at a high cost in lives and property.
The activities of people from the two faiths were returning to normal, with public areas
being free of suspicion and fear.
But now the peace has been shattered again. Mysterious agents provocateur are still
attempting to spread fear. Like ghosts, the inciters who try to pit one community
against the other appear to be untouchable by the police.
The perpetrators and intellectual actors behind the latest acts of terror have still to be
identified by the authorities.
The way the attacks have been carried out has led to a speculation that certain vested
interests are trying to create a state of fear in the community. The terrorism is
designed to terrorize the people of Ambon, whose lives had just returned to normal
after years of living in fear during the conflict.
Not only were public facilities attacked, but also a religious symbol in the form of the
Alfatah Grand Mosque in Ambon, which was seen by Muslims during the conflict as a
symbol of resistance, was the scene of a bomb explosion.
The good thing was that despite the terror acts, the people of Ambon, who are sorely
tired of conflict, have resisted the temptation to retaliate, and life continues as normal.
The question now is, who stands to benefit from fomenting trouble in Ambon.
While there is no solid evidence, the possible beneficiaries include not only Muslim
and Christian diehards, but also elements of the military and police.
The persistent violence in Ambon raises questions about the security forces'
commitment to a final resolution of the Maluku conflict.
Routine outbreaks of terrorism generate a situation where businesspeople and
property owners feel defenseless so that they are forced to pay members of the
security forces for protection.
The greater the feeling of insecurity, the more they are willing to pay, according to a
report by the International Crisis Group.
However, as hard evidence is extremely difficult to find, the real motivation behind the
terrorism remains obscure.
This is a question that only the political elite in Jakarta can answer.
Hyginus Hardoyo is a staff writer with The Jakarta Post and M. Azis Tunny is the
correspondent of The Jakarta Post in Ambon.
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