JAKARTA (JP): Vice President Hamzah Haz reiterated on Tuesday
that the government will not impose martial law in strife-torn
Maluku province, as long as the situation in Ambon remains
relatively under control, reports said.
Hamzah revealed the stance during a meeting with legislators
from Maluku province at Merdeka Selatan vice presidential palace
in Central Jakarta.
The Maluku legislators conveyed their official rejection to the
planned military state of emergency in the province, and asked the
government to review and strengthen the Maluku civil emergency
administrator.
"We want the government to fully support efforts to uphold
law and order, and to take firm action against perpetrators of
violence," chairman of Maluku provincial council Zeth
Sahuburua said.
Hamzah, however, said the government would be very careful when
making decisions on Maluku. "A state of emergency will not be
imposed, as long as the security situation in the area remains
under control," he said.
The legislators also asked for an independent team to
investigate a series of bloody incidents in Maluku, including the
latest violent incident in the village of Soyu last week, which
claimed at least 13 lives and injured dozens of others.
Under martial law, authority would rest with the military,
which would be allowed to arrest people for up to 70 days if
necessary.
Indonesian law requires that such an emergency be declared by
the president in consultation with the House of Representatives (DPR).
In February, the government brokered a peace pact between
representatives of Maluku's warring Muslim and Christian camps in
an effort to end over three years of sectarian violence which has
already killed more than 9,000 people in Maluku and North
Malukuand displaced over half a million people. (edt)
