The Jakarta Post, June 15, 2002
Rights activists slam team to probe Maluku conflict
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Ambon
Skepticism loomed on Friday over the neutrality and capability of the newly
established team to investigate human rights abuses in Maluku because it is run by
the government, human rights activists said on Friday.
Asmara Nababan, secretary-general of the National Commission on Human Rights
(Komnas HAM), expressed concern on Friday that the team would meet a similar fate
with the government-backed investigation team to probe the murder of Papuan leader
Theys Hiyo Eluay.
"The team to investigate Theys' case failed to obtain public trust as there was no clear
mechanism or transparent public report. Learning from that, the government should
first consult conflicting communities in Maluku before appointing members of the
team," Asmara told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
"Should the public have any doubts about members of the team, the government
should be ready to replace them," he added.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri issued Decree No. 38 on June 6, establishing an
independent team to investigate human rights violations in conflict-stricken Maluku as
stipulated in the government-initiated Malino II peace deal signed on Feb. 12.
The team comprises 14 people of various backgrounds -- such as government
officials, religious figures and politicians -- and is led by Deputy to the Coordinating
Minister for Security and Political Affairs Maj. Gen. (ret) I Wayan Karya, with Komnas
HAM member Bambang W. Suharto as his deputy.
Bambang led a Komnas HAM fact-finding team on the Maluku conflict in 2001, but
nothing came out of the investigation.
The team is assigned to probe at least nine major cases, including the clash between
a resident and a public transport driver on Jan. 19, 1999 which triggered prolonged
conflict between the Christian and Muslim communities.
It will focus on the separatist movement which has been led by groups linked to the
South Maluku Republic, the presence of the Muslim extremist group Laskar Jihad and
their Christian rivals Laskar Kristus, as well as reports of human rights abuse,
including alleged forced conversion in Maluku.
According to Ori Rachman, coordinator of the Commission on Missing Persons and
Victims of Violence (Kontras), the team should instead focus on why the incident
sparked widespread sectarian conflict, and on whether the presence of the security
personnel there has worsened the clashes.
"The presence of the separatist movement or militia groups is merely the public's
reaction to the government's inability to meet the public's needs and to control the
military and police there, because most of the conflicts are related to competition
between the security forces," he told the Post.
Coordinating Minister for Social Welfare Jusuf Kalla, the author of the Malino peace
agreement, said the team was given six months to complete the task, but its
members could not start working until Megawati installs them.
Jusuf also said the team has no legal authority and should report their findings directly
to the President.
"If they discover any violations of the law then the judicial apparatus will follow up the
findings," Jusuf told reporters.
He added the decision to pick a Balinese as the leader of the team was to ensure an
impartial investigation.
"It is part of the Malino agreement that the team members are not Ambonese and that
the team is led by people of a different religion to the warring communities."
Separately in Ambon, representatives of both warring groups who had signed the
peace deal urged the team to start working, saying the team was a supporting factor
for the promotion of law and order which was the key to ending the Maluku conflict.
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