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Maluku, Poso remain 'unsettled'
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The
Jakarta Post April
07, 2003
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Maluku, Poso remain 'unsettled'
Azis Tunny, The Jakarta Post, Ambon/Jakarta
Security authorities will continue to disarm civilians in Maluku and Poso in
anticipation of the 2004 general election and the planned gubernatorial election in
Maluku.
Pattimura Military Commander Maj. Gen. Agus Tadi said in Ambon on Saturday that
despite the 15-month-old agreement to end the three-year-old conflict between
Muslims and Christians, the situation in the province was still a cause for concern
because many civilians still possessed arms and explosives that they had either
made themselves or stolen from security personnel.
"Despite the calm situation, many people, especially former militiamen, presumably
possess homemade and conventional arms and explosives that could be used should
the situation turn tense in the future," he said at a media conference here on
Saturday.
Agustadi, also chief of the operation to restore security and order in the province, said
that searches for arms would be conducted in anticipation of the next gubernatorial
election and the 53rd anniversary of banned South Maluku Republic (RMS) separatist
movement on April 24.
"The two events could revive the conflict because the situation in the province has yet
to be brought fully under control," he said.
The government has postponed the gubernatorial election indefinitely because,
despite the peace agreement, the situation in the province has yet to fully return to
normal. Herman Sarundayang has been appointed the acting governor to replace
Saleh Latuconsina, whose term of office ended last December.
Gubernatorial succession was one of factors that caused the conflict to erupt on Jan.
19, 1999. The conflict, which claimed more than 6,000 Muslim and Christian lives and
displaced more than 750,000 people, ended with a peace agreement signed by the
two conflicting factions in Malino, South Sulawesi, in February 2002.
The separatist movement's reappearance in 2000 prolonged the conflict as several
RMS figures were arrested and later brought to court.
"Like previous years, RMS supporters are expected to raise the RMS flag to mark the
celebration their organization's anniversary," said Agustadi.
He added that security authorities had yet to recover more than 500 rifles and guns
stolen by militiamen of the two former conflicting groups from military arsenals during
the conflict.
Brig. Gen. Taufik Ridha, chief of the Central Sulawesi Police, said in Palu, the capital
of Central Sulawesi, that the situation in Poso was still fragile since many people still
possessed homemade arms and explosives.
"Security authorities will continue to conduct the operation to restore security and
order in the regency and to encourage all refugees to go back to their home villages,"
he said.
He said security needed to be enhanced so that the 2004 general election could be
secured.
He added that the security restoration operation that was backed by the local military
would continue, while the task force representing the former conflicting parties was
still evaluating the implementation of the Malino peace agreement for Poso signed on
Dec. 20, 2001.
He called on the task force to complete its main mission to encourage reconciliation
among the conflicting groups in the regency so that people taking refuge outside the
regency would return home.
"Many refugees have declined to go back home because reconciliation has yet to be
conducted in their home villages," he said.
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