The Jakarta Post, January 16, 2002
Govt to lift state of civil emergency in North Maluku
AMBON, Maluku (JP): The state of civil emergency in North Maluku province and in
parts of Maluku province will soon be lifted, an official said on Wednesday.
Maluku civil emergency administrator, Governor Saleh Latuconsina, revealed at his
office on Wednesday that the decision was made following a coordination meeting
last week with top Cabinet and security officials and evaluation of the implementation
of the state of emergency in both Maluku and NorthMaluku provinces.
"One of the proposals after the evaluation is that the civil emergency (which has been
in force since June 27, 2000) in North Maluku be totally lifted; while parts of Maluku
province still considered restive, such as the Ambon islands, will have thecivil
emergency imposed for another six months," Latuconsina said.
Latuconsina said there were still security threats in Maluku province since many
areas, such as the Ambon islands, were still targeted by armed rioters.
"There are some parties and outsiders here (in the Ambon islands) who do not wish
peace to return," the governor added.
Last week's evaluation meeting -- conducted jointly by Maluku and North Maluku
administrations, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono, the Indonesian Military (TNI) and National Police chiefs -- also concluded
thatthe North Maluku areas of Maluku Tenggara, Maluku Tenggara Barat, Central
Maluku and parts of Buru islands "are already in a conducive situation".
Latuconsina further said that conflict resolution in Maluku would be better conducted
through dialog rather than repressive measures.
"All groups involved in conflict in Maluku, including outsiders like Lasykar Jihad and
people affiliated to the South Maluku Republic (RMS) separatists, as well as
grassroots peoplemust be jointly united in dialog," the governor said.
In a bid to bring an end to the ongoing conflicts, a team of top Cabinet ministers and
security officials will visit Ambon on Jan. 21 to Jan. 23. Among the entourage slated
to attend the meeting are all three coordinating ministers, the minister of defense, the
TNI commander and intelligence chiefs.
Maluku and North Maluku were previously one province -- Maluku -- before the
government split the area into two provinces in 1999 in a bid to curb the unrest and to
obtain administrative and security control over the vast island territory.
The ongoing unrest in Maluku first erupted on Jan. 19, 1999 when a petty dispute
between a local and a migrant settler broke out. It quickly degenerated into a
full-scale riot, and escalated into communal and religious conflict between Muslim and
Christiancommunities, killing more than 9,000 people and forcing at least 500,000
people out of their homes.
Observers claim that North Maluku province is relatively calm since most of the
Christian have either gone or have been killed in unrest. (49/edt)
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