Ambon, Kompas Online
Commander Security Recovery Operational Commando at the same
time also Commander Military Commando XVI/Pattimura, Major General
Djoko Santoso in close association with the police has started to
enforce security in order to end the 4-year old Moluccas conflict.
On Monday (3/6) Djoko called upon the District Police Chief,
Brigadier General Soenarko and led the replacing ceremony of the
Mobile Brigade troops who were on duty in the Moluccas. On the
same day, the Pattimura Military Commando received a number of
vehicles and anti- riot arms from TNI Headquarters and the Army to
control a mob.
"I hope that the police and TNI can cooperate together to
end the suffering of the Moluccas people. They have been suffering
since long, it is high time to end the conflict. I also hope that
people depend more on their inner self and ratio instead of
emotion," said Djoko.
Report of Police Chief
In Jakarta, Chief of Police General Da'i Bachtiar reported
Monday at a work meeting with the House's Commission II that the
3-year old conflict claimed the lives of 1.842 people and
destroyed 25.373 buildings consisting of 25.144 homes, 91 mosques
and 138 churches.
In his report Da'i mentioned that victims did not consist of
members of the public alone, the number also include men on duty
in the region. During the conflict 1.797 people died, 1.881 people
got seriously wounded and 2.213 were lightly injured. 13 TNI
members and 32 Policemen died during the conflict.
The Police Chief also admitted that his men and TNI stationed
in Moluccas have been conducting arms sweeps since the signing of
the Malino II agreement. Since May 31, 200 organic weapons, 900
improvised arms and 7.673 sharp tools , ammunition and explosives
have been recorded.
However, estimations have it that more weapons are still in the
hands of the public since the Police Barracks in Tantui, Ambon
were damaged and looted in June 2000, as many as 1.080 organic
fire arms went missing.
"According to estimations there must be more fire arms
still in the hands of the public. That is why the Police depends
on military support in sweeps on locations reputed for many fire
arms in circulation. The most important part to the Police is
materialization of public security now," said the Chief of
Police.
Conquerers of the heart
In the Mobile Brigade barracks Djoko Santoso expressed hope
that the newly arrived Mobile Brigade force could fulfill its task
in a disciplinary and professional way. He also believes it
necessary that the police and TNI should enforce sovereignty of a
united Indonesian Republic together in Moluccas.
In his visit to the Mobile Brigade Quarters, Djoko managed to
conquer the hearts of the Mobile Brigade force whose men had been
involved in incidents against TNI in Moluccas. Apart from
conducting a dialogue with the men, Djoko also visited the force's
families who stayed in the Mobile Brigade barracks.
The Police and TNI, said Soenarko, will be one in the security
enforcement of Moluccas while the police is under command of the
Governor in his capacity of Authority Civil Emergency and under
command of the Moluccas Security Recovery Operational Commando.
Chairman of the Truth and Justice Enforcing Committee and Anti-
Violence In Moluccas (KP2PKM), Munir Kaerotty praised Djoko's
initiative to encompass the police force, in particular the Mobile
Brigade. "He took a very good step. Without the Mobile
Brigade, everyone of them could not fulfill their duty well. We
hope that security handling in Moluccas will grow better,"
said Kaerotty.
However, he reminded that shipping or use of the anti-riot
equipment as well as those weapons to cripple a mob will not play
an important part in solving the Moluccan conflict. He illustrated
a sample, use of tear gas in several incidents as the Pos Kota
incident in Ambon, it did not suppress the fights. On the
contrary, in recent cases real bullets were used to control the
mob. He hoped, therefore, that these weapons would be used
professionally and that the conflict can be ended by means of
dialogues.
As to measures to be taken in security recovery operations in
Moluccas, Djoko said that on his part a consolidation of forces
will be held, and that steps to enforce security and order will be
taken, also dialogue efforts will be conducted among the parties.
As to the use of anti-riot weapons as well as killing arms,
that would all depend on the situation at hand, said Djoko.
"Political resistence should be handled politically. Legal
offences would have to be countered with the law. Armed conflicts
will be countered with arms," said Djoko.
Do not make an issue out of it
In Jakarta Da'i confessed that the Police has so far not
appointed a new Police Chief who would at the same time function
as Deputy Commander of the Security Recovery Operational Commando.
"Let the present Moluccas District Police Chief take care of
the feedback to the Commander of the Security Operational Commando
first," said the Chief of Police.
The appointment of the Commander Military District XVI/Pattimura
Commando to oversee security became effective with an Instruction
of the Authority Civil Emergency State No. Prin o2/PDSDM/2000 dd.
July 19 2000.
"We don't need to make an issue of it anymore, since the
Police still needs assistance of TNI, especially in areas where
still a good number of arms are in circulation. Of importance is
that law enforcement is adhered to by the Police, for instance,
when somebody has to be arrested," he said. (*)
