HTML pages designed & maintained by Alifuru67 Copyright © 1999/2001 - 1364283024 & 1367286044		Ambon Island   Ambon City        Latupatti   Want to Help? The Jakarta Post, 30 Oct. 2001 Maluku and North Maluku still have major problems: Governor JAKARTA (JP): Although a fragile calm has descended on both Maluku and North Maluku provinces, the strife-torn islands are facing two major problems, Maluku Governor Saleh Latuconsina told the media on Tuesday. Speaking on the sidelines of a book launching on Maluku and a seminar titled "Merajut Damai in Maluku, Stop Kekerasan" (Sowing Peace in Maluku, Stop Violence) here on Tuesday, Latuconsina said the problems were related to the segregation of Muslims andChristian communities, which had resulted from over two years of bloody conflicts that have claimed at least 8,000 lives. The first problem was the demand by the Christian community that the government take firm action against the Laskar Jihad in Maluku, he said. Analysts have accused Laskar Jihad of waging a holy war in Maluku and claims the group created unrest in the areas. The second problem was that Muslims in Maluku are demanding that the government take legal action against separatism in Maluku, which was allegedly initiated by the defunct South Maluku Republic (RMS) movement, Latuconsina said. Latuconsina further said it was difficult to fulfill the demand of the Muslim camp because it was not easy to find solid evidence and accurately investigate separatism. Latuconsina said it would also be difficult to expel Laskar Jihad from the islands, as requested by Christians, since the group's existence there was related to tolerance among Muslims. The governor also said that due process of the law in Maluku territory had been put on hold because there were only two judges available at Ambon District Court. "Maluku's problems must be observed through a holistic approach; we cannot reduce it to merely a matter of separatism or communal conflict. The most important thing is how to nurture reconciliation," the governor said. Conflicts in both Maluku and North Maluku provinces -- which were formerly just one province -- broke out on Jan. 19, 1999 following a petty dispute between migrants and locals in Ambon, the capital of Maluku. The dispute quickly degenerated into afull-scale riot which claimed thousands of lives and drove away more than 500,000 people from their homes. Copyright © 1999-2001  - Ambon Berdarah On-Line * http://www.go.to/ambon HTML pages designed and maintained by Alifuru67 * http://www.oocities.org/baguala67 Send your comments to alifuru67@egroups.com