JAKARTA (JP): Vice President Hamzah Haz said Wednesday hestruck
no deals during his controversial meeting with an arrestedLaskar
Jihad Islamic militia chief, who is accused of inciting amassacre
of Christian villagers in the Maluku islands, reportssaid.
Hamzah, who is also a chairman of the Muslim-based
UnitedDevelopment Party (PPP), drew criticism for his 90-minute
meetingTuesday with Laskar Jihad (Jihad Force) leader Jafar Umar
Thalibin a cell at National Police headquarters.
"I went there as a Muslim. Part of Islamic unity is
Islamicbrotherhood ... my visit was within that framework,"
Hamzah toldreporters before attending a Cabinet meeting led by
PresidentMegawati Soekarnoputri on Wednesday.
"There were no political affairs discussed ... there were
nopolitical deals," he added as quoted by AFP.
A Muslim leader who accompanied Hamzah during the meeting,Eggy
Sujana, has said Hamzah and police asked Laskar Jihad tosurrender
weapons and withdraw from Ambon, the Maluku provincialcapital, the
news agency reported.
Eggy said Jafar agreed to do so if the government
guaranteesthat similar firm action was taken towards the
supporters of thenow-defunct Republik Maluku Selatan (RMS)
separatistmovement.
Jafar has been charged with insulting the president and
vicepresident and inciting people to attack a Christian village
nearAmbon on April 28. Thirteen people were killed.
The attack was the worst bloodshed since Christians andMuslims
signed a pact in February to end three years of sectarianfighting
in the eastern island chain. More than 5,000 people havedied there
since early 1999.
Laskar Jihad opposes the peace pact.
The militia sent thousands of fighters to the Malukus fromMay
2000, vowing to defend Muslims against Christians. Securityforces
made no move to stop them. The government under thenpresident
Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid had tried to ban the
groupfrom entering Maluku, but to no avail.
Police arrested Jafar last Saturday over comments heallegedly
made during a sermon in Ambon on April 26, two daysbefore the
attack.
