http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=6094
6 May, 2006
INDONESIA
Moluccas, Kalimantan risk new conflicts
Experts at an international meeting about peace in the region voiced a
warning: to avert the threat, the government should tackle unresolved problems
of discrimination and growing poverty.
Ambon (AsiaNews/JP) - Conflicts between ethnic and religious communities
in the Indonesian provinces of the Moluccas and Kalimantan could re-ignite if
the government does not tackle problems of social injustice and tensions in the
area. The warning comes from an expert, Thung Ju Lan of the Indonesian
Institute of Sciences (LIPI). Last week, the expert took part in an
international meeting on peace in these provinces. Thung said beneath relative
calm, unrest simmered in the Moluccas and Kalimantan: the reasons that sparked
earlier conflicts remain unresolved problems.
"The sectarian conflict in the Moluccas has had its main roots in a weak
government, a widening gap between rich and poor, and injustice," he said.
Thung said the widening economic gap between local people and migrants
could fuel fresh fighting in the Moluccas. That gap is linked to the continued
exploitation of forest and mining resources, and segregation between Muslims
and non-Muslims.
Christianity, another participant at the meeting, comes from Ambon. She
said: "Segregation has frequently caused misunderstanding between the two
communities. Local elections have frequently sparked conflicts as politicians
fight for support from communities of different faiths and ethnic backgrounds."
She said recent regional autonomy had brought about meaningful changes in
local governance. "Jakarta has disbursed so much money for the province, but
the poor remain poor while the rich are getting richer."
Thung, who undertook research about conflicts in the Moluccas and west
Kalimantan between 2002 and 2004, said the latter was in the same boat. Here,
the local government ignored the main problems that ignited the inter-ethnic
conflict between ethnic Dayaks, a group of ethnic Malays and Madurese migrants
from Java.
"Dayak and Malay people attacked Madurese people because the latter were
trying to control the business sector, after other sectors had been dominated
by the bureaucracy and security authorities and foreign companies."
Violence exploded in west Kalimantan between 1996 and 1997 and then again
in 1999. The most serious incidents took place in February 2001, when at least
500 Madurese were killed in the city of Sampit in Kalimantan.
Thung said the government and bureaucracy had to reform themselves to
prevent the two provinces from seeking independence in the future. "The two
provinces have been in need of leaders of integrity who treat people equally
regardless of their ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds. Bureaucratic
reform has to be carried out by recruiting the best people. Segregation must
end; legal certainty should be upheld and security authorities must maintain
their neutrality."
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