House summons Wahid on violence

By P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE, JAN. 6. The Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) decided in Jakarta today to summon the President, Mr. Abdurrahman Wahid, to explain the Government's handling of the latest communal carnage in Ambon and elsewhere in the Spice Islands. The President, on his part, indicated that he might shift the Governor and the military commander of that region so that officials not belonging to either of the warring communities - Christians and Muslims - could be posted to usher in peace.

At another level, several thousand Islamic activists of Muslim- majority Indonesia today took out processions in Jakarta demanding justice for the predominant religious group in the Christian-controlled parts of Maluku or Spice isles. The agitators wanted action to be taken against the Vice-President, Ms. Megawati Sukarnoputri, for failing to prevent an alleged mass massacre of Muslims in Halmahera sector last week.

The military authorities, who continued their security sweep across Maluku for yet another day, contradicted the claims that thousands of Muslims were killed in Halmahera. The Senior Minister for Politics and Security Affairs, Gen. Wiranto, even said the troubled areas would be insulated by the military forces so that disinformation and misinformation could be avoided to foster peace.

The President, finding himself increasingly under fire for the current turmoil, appointed staunch critics of the Government as his advisers.

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Section  : International
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