The Jakarta Post, January 18, 2002
High-powered delegation to assess Maluku conflict
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A high-powered ministerial, military and police delegation is scheduled to visit Maluku
next week to seek an end to the prolonged sectarian violence plaguing the province.
Included on the three-day peace mission from Jan. 21 are Coordinating Minister for
Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Coordinating Minister for
Investment and Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro Djakti and Coordinating Minister for
People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla.
The ministers would be accompanies by Indonesian Military Commander Adm.
Widodo A.S., National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar and National Information
Bureau chief A.M. Hendropriyono.
Maluku Governor Saleh Latuconsina said in Jakarta on Thursday that the trip was a
follow-up to their recent meeting with Maluku officials in Jakarta.
"The (delegation) will assess the situation amid the state of civilian emergency
imposed since July 27, 2001."
Latuconsina said that during their stay in the province, the delegation would assess
the possibility of seeking a solution to the conflict, as they had done in Poso, Central
Sulawesi.
"All sides must support efforts made by the government to solve the three-year
conflict that has brought suffering to the local people," he said.
If it gained support from the two conflicting factions of Muslims and Christians, the
government should also include conflicting groups from Sulawesi, Java and Sumatra
who were linked to the conflict, Latuconsina said.
"Such a policy will likely raise the prospect that there are certain sides who don't want
the situation in the province resolved peacefully but this should not necessarily raise
pessimism among those who want to end the conflict.
"The government will take strict action against those violating any peaceful agreement
the two conflicting factions will make," he said.
Latuconsina said the situation in Ambon was still tense and, therefore, the state
emergency should be maintained on the island even though many other areas in the
province were returning to normal.
The last incident on the island occurred last Sunday when a group of gunmen
attacked Rutong Village in Sirimau Subdistrict, leaving a villager dead and two others
injured.
All contents copyright © of The Jakarta Post.
|
