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Laskar Jihad Urges Strengthening Troops In Maluku
by Kazi Mahmood
JAKARTA, May 14 (IslamOnline) - Indonesia is beefing up its military presence in the violence torn province of Maluku. A new batch of troops arrived in Maluku on Sunday to replace three military battalions just completing a nine-month tour.
Civil emergency administrator Maluku Governor Saleh Latuconsina, urged the new security personnel to remain neutral in restoring law and order in the region.
"The troops that are leaving Maluku have performed their duties optimally and maintained their neutrality. They were not carried away by the conflict between the two [Muslim and Christian] camps," Latuconsina said during a briefing for new troops at the gubernatorial office late Saturday.
Latuconsina also said authorities would disburse Rp 6 billion ($1 = Rp10, 000) to support the security operation in the islands.
In addition, the Lasykar Jihad Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah, known simply as Laskar Jihad, also urged the military to beef up its troops in the region in order to prevent further violence in the province, and said that several thousand Laskar troops wanted to remain in the area to protect Muslims.
The Indonesian authorities, however, want to remove Laskar's troops and impose military security in the region.
Military sources said that much of the recent violence in the region was due to lack of funds to keep troops in place. At one point, military troops suffered from lack of food and equipment, they asserted.
Latuconsina further stated that civil emergency administrators have clearly prohibited unconstitutional activities in the restive province, including separatism and the planned implementation of Islamic law by certain Muslim groups here.
"Such activities are clearly against the law and we will not tolerate them," Latuconsina said.
He was referring to the activities separately conducted by the Maluku Sovereignty Front (FKM) separatist movement and Laskar.
Meanwhile, Maluku, on Tuesday, will celebrate the 184th anniversary of national hero Thomas "Pattimura" Matulessy's death. The main ceremony will be held on Saparua Island in Central Maluku regency, an official said.
Latuconsina said the commemoration was usually conducted at the historic Merdeka field, near the Victoria fortress in Ambon, but would be held on Saparua this year.
As in previous years, the ceremony will include a torch parade. The torch's flame is from the wood of trees on Saniri Mountain - Pattimura's and his aides' camping ground during the independence struggle against Dutch colonial forces.
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