AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, Thursday March 21, 2002 4:48 PM
Papua church, local leaders reject Java-based Muslim militants
JAKARTA, March 21 (AFP) - Church and community leaders in Papua have called on
a Muslim militant group to leave the mainly Christian Indonesian province, saying it is
trying to stir up trouble, according to a human rights group Thursday.
A coalition of 20 church, tribal and community leaders in the town of Sorong last week
rejected the presence of Laskar Jihad (Jihad Force) in Papua, the Elsham rights group
said.
John Rumbiak of Elsham said the coalition in a statement had rejected Laskar Jihad's
use of religion as "an instrument to create conflicts."
The Java-based paramilitary group sent thousands of its members to fight alongside
Muslims against Christians in the Malukus and also around Poso in Central Sulawesi.
They were accused of fuelling the fighting in the Malukus in which some 5,000 people
were killed between January 1999 and February this year, when a peace pact was
signed. Some Muslims also accuse Christian groups of fomenting violence.
In the statement the coalition also condemned the "provoking circulation of
newsletters and leaflets" by Laskar Jihad in Sorong and Fak Fak, two towns in the
west of Papua.
Fak Fak is mainly Muslim while the rest of the province is predominantly Christian.
Papua is the scene of a sporadic separatist revolt against Jakarta.
"They (Laskar Jihad) have publicly and openly been giving provoking sermons at
mosques in those cities, claiming that the separatist movement here is a Christian
movement," Rumbiak said.
Ayip Syarifuddin, a spokesman for Laskar Jihad, said his group had "never issued
statements or leaflets that can provoke hatred for certain religious groups."
He said opposition to Laskar Jihad's presence in Papua could "be seen as an
indication that they are actually carrying out a Christian separatist movement in
Papua."
Rumbiak said Elsham has "concrete evidence" that Laskar Jihad has for some time
been training members of the anti-separatist Merah Putih (Red and White) militia
group in Fak Fak.
He said local Muslims with links to nearby Seram island made up the bulk of the
militia.
The Merah Putih, named for the colours of the national flag, became active in the
region shortly after pro-independence sentiment strengthened following the fall of
dictator Suharto in 1998.
Rumbiak said he believed the Merah Putih has the support of local officials and
security authorities to counter the pro-independence drive.
Rumbiak said that at least one Muslim district legislator is known to be behind the
Merah Putih and among its members are many people working for local government
and institutions.
The Indonesian military set up similar militia groups in East Timor before the August
1999 ballot there for independence. They killed hundreds of people and caused huge
destruction.
In Papua a sporadic low-level armed struggle for independence began after the Dutch
ceded control of the territory to Indonesia in 1963.
Anger at the central government has been fuelled by unpunished extra-judicial killings
and Jakarta's perceived exploitation of rich natural resources.
The province was renamed Papua from Irian Jaya this year under an autonomy law
and promised a much greater share of revenue from natural resources.
Copyright © 2001 AFP. All rights reserved.
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