By Don Greenlees, Jakarta
correspondent
A SEPARATIST group in Indonesia's violence-scarred province of
Maluku pledged to press ahead with plans to hoist a republican
flag today, defying new curbs on civil liberties and warnings of a
crackdown by the province's civil emergency administration.
Using sweeping powers granted under the emergency laws, the
provincial administration has taken measures to prevent the Maluku
Sovereignty Front (FKM) from gaining publicity for the
flag-raising.
Governor Saleh Latuconsina issued an order on April 10 banning
foreigners from entering the province until the end of the month,
citing concerns about today's ceremony. Six days later, police
arrested FKM leader Alex Manuputty. This week the administration
imposed a news blackout on local media and extended the curfew.
Anxiety over the flag-raising and the imposition of new civil
restrictions comes at a time of relative calm in Maluku, which is
slowly recovering from a three-year sectarian conflict. Between
the eruption of Muslim-Christian clashes in January 1999 and July
last year, when community violence started to peter out, an
estimated 6000 people were killed.
A peace agreement imposed by Jakarta in February confirmed the
security improvement. Despite this deal, signed in the South
Sulawesi town of Malino, tensions have been kept alive by arson
and bombings.
In the worst attack, seven people were killed and scores injured
by a bomb in a Christian area of the capital, Ambon, on April 3.
The Governor's office was gutted by fire after the bombing.
Provincial authorities have accused the Christian-dominated FKM of
sustaining hostilities. But who is behind the bombing, and other
acts of violence or provocation, is a mystery.
Security analysts are concerned some local leaders and elements of
the security forces want to maintain unrest to preserve their
power and a lucrative protection business. Some religious and
community hardliners have also declared they are unready to accept
the Malino agreement.
The FKM leaders deny their organisation has weapons or supports
violence. "We don't have guns – this is a peaceful
struggle, a democratic struggle for human rights," said
Jakarta-based FKM leader Louis Risakotta.
The FKM, a revival of the 1950s Republic of South Maluku (RMS)
movement, emerged in December 2000 in response to what it says was
the unwill ingness of the security forces to defend Christians
from Muslim attacks.
They cite Jakarta's failure to prevent up to 3000 armed and
trained fighters from the extremist Laskar Jihad travelling from
Java to join the conflict in May 2000. The arrival of the Laskar
Jihad – which many analysts believe was a creation of senior
military officers – was decisive in switching the balance of
power in favour of the Muslims.
Mr Risakotta says today's planned flag ceremony – marking the
52nd anniversary of the declaration of the Republic of South
Maluku – will be symbolic of two demands: to expel outside
fighters and offer the choice of independence in a referendum.
"The people feel the Government failed to protect Maluku, so
they have come together to find an alternative," he said.
Security forces have stepped up pressure ahead of today's
ceremony, despite the fact the RMS flag was raised without
incident last year.
Dr Manuputty, who was kept under surveillance before his arrest,
is being held in Ambon, but is yet to be charged. He could face a
year in jail if it is proved he broke the emergency laws.
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