|
Wahid Plans Kalimantan Visit On Return
by Kazi Mahmood
KUALA LUMPUR, March 5, (IslamOnline) - Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, in defiance of mounting calls for him to resign, will visit the violence torn Kalimantan province Thursday, one day after his return from Saudi Arabia after performing the hajj, one of his top officials said Monday.
Dubbed a "damage control" visit, Wahid is expected to appease widespread anger and shock in the country due to his absence and indifference during the atrocities, performing the hajj and visiting other Arab countries amidst the horrors of ethnic cleansing in Sampit.
Indonesian authorities, after obvious lapses and inaction at the heat of the murderous spree against innocent civilians, are now attempting to find ways to prevent another such massacre from occurring in the state.
Wahid is said to be going to Sampit, the heart of the worst bloodshed in Kalimantan, to assess the latest situation following violence that has killed close to 500 people.
The horrors in Kalimantan expose what the international community believes is the failure of a long established transmigration policy that has created more trouble in Indonesia than expected.
Wahid, however, and his immediate entourage, including Defense Minister Mohammad Mahfud MD, said they have reason to believe that external forces (international meddling in Indonesian affairs) are involved in the ethnic massacre.
Madurese settlers, who are Muslim, have been the targets of attack by local indigenous Dayaks, coastal Malays and Chinese traders in Kalimantan. Indonesian authorities believe incidents such as the recent ethnic violence are part of an attempt to Balkanize the giant Indonesian republic of 210 million, of which some 85% to 90% are Muslim.
Kalimantan, situated on the island of Borneo and bordered by Malaysia and Brunei, is rich in natural minerals and other resources. Any breakaway of Kalimantan from Indonesia would be the beginning of the end of the Republic, Wahid's entourage said.
Observers in Jakarta agreed with the in abstentia analysis by Wahid's team, adding that further trouble in Kalimantan would have a domino effect on the entire nation, causing majority Muslim areas to take arms against minority non-Muslim ethnic groups.
Elite politicians in Jakarta scoffed at Mahfud's statement that Wahid had planned his Kalimantan visit well before the outbreak of violence and that the government had fixed procedures to tackle unrest.
They say Wahid's administration lamentably failed in saving the lives of 500 people decapitated and killed in atrocious manners. They also said the government has given more room to a power hungry military force currently showing civilian authorities that without its aid, civilian authorities cannot run the country.
Wahid has been severely criticized at home for his refusal to cut short his current trip and take immediate measures to crack down on the carnage in Kalimantan.
A Dayak leader, Adilen Bouman, believed that the recent anarchy, which prevailed in Central Kalimantan, was a reflection of the declining trust in law enforcement in the region.
"The weak law enforcement has prompted people to take the law into their own hands regardless of the negative impacts due to their behavior," he said.
In a move to prevent repetition of the conflict, Kota Waringin Timur city in Kalimantan is revamping the regency's regulations on the population migration.
"The new regulation is being discussed for approval by the city council," Wahjudi, the chief of the city regency, said on Sunday during a visit to Madurese refugee camps in Sampit.
He said he would propose regulations aimed at minimizing cultural clashes between various ethnic communities. Wahjudi pointed out that government officials and social experts in Jakarta made mistakes by attributing the conflicts in Sampit and Palangkaraya to gaps in society.
"This is a conflict that resulted from cultural differences. In Sampit, Madurese people make up 60% of the population. Their characteristics have made communication with local Dayaks difficult and can lead to cultural clashes," he said, quoted by Antara.
Wahjudi also said proposed regulations will take into consideration the exploitation of natural resources in the regency as well.
Commenting on previous practices, he said, "It is common knowledge that the rights to exploit the natural resources are owned by city dwellers while most local inhabitants can only watch."
|
