Yogi Arief Nugraha/Fitri & GB, Jakarta – The National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has released its report on the causes of two years of sectarian conflict in the Moluccus, Indonesia's famous spice islands. The report was produced by the Investigation Commission for Human Rights Violations and Mediation in Maluku (KPMM) led by Bambang W. Suharto who researched from 19 January to 18 December 2000.
"It is concluded that the conflict in Maluku and North Maluku [provinces] have caused human rights violations, vertically, this has been done by both individuals and the state apparatus, both the police and military," said Djoko Sugianto, head of Komnas HAM, to reporters after meeting President Abdurrahman Wahid at the Bina Graha presidential offices in Jakarta, Tuesday.
Djoko then listed a number of factors which inflamed the conflict after it first broke out on 19 January 1999: social jealousy, provocation by outside agents, the non-neutral attitude displayed by the security apparatus and local government, religious sentiment, vendetta, elite political rifts. Djoko also said the Ketapang incident was a factor in triggering the conflict. On November 22, 1998, Ambonese Muslim and Christians thugs clashed violently in Jakarta's Ketapang district.
"In the case of North Maluku, the conflict was triggered by Government Regulation No. 42/1999 on the establishment and regulation of sub districts in North Maluku," said Djoko. After 10 months of conflict in Maluku province, the government divided the province into two: Maluku (with an equal balance of Muslims and Christians) and North Maluku province (predominantly Muslim).
Djoko said the fact that the conflict is still ongoing proves that the state has failed to guarantee the security of each citizen.
According to data recorded by KPMM, at least 3,080 people were killed between January 1999 – October 2000. As many as 4,024 were injured. The conflict has also created 281,365 displaced people. These figures exclude the 425 people whose ship sunk on its way to Manado. Other sources have claimed that as many as 8,000 people have died in the conflict which reaches into remote areas of the territory.
"Therefore, we ask the government to follow up this matter. The President will immediately do that and contact related parties," said Djoko.
Apart from unveiling their report on Maluku, Djoko Soegianto and Komnas HAM recommended the government form a task force in the form of a national peace mission. The task force's duties would included preventing and ending violence and creating the right conditions for carrying out law enforcement and mediation.
"The task force would consist of National Police and Military [TNI] personnel. They would be provided with training on conflict prevention and carrying out definite actions," said Djoko. "Members of the task force would have special uniforms and would not be permitted to wear their unit's insignia," said Djoko.