12 - Maluku: The Long Road to Recovery

Summary

INTRODUCTION: AFTER THE STORM

On 27 February 2002, two weeks after the signing of the Malino Peace Accord II (Perjanjian Malino II), a few hundred young Muslim and Christian men from the island of Haruku—one of the tiny Lease islands east of Ambon—rode together into Ambon and began marching through the town, disregarding the barricades that divided the war-torn city into ‘red’ and ‘white’ zones. They sang nationalistic songs, hugged spectators and urged them to join the procession. Police and military personnel joined in as the crowd circled its way towards the governor's office. Later that day, Governor Saleh Latuconsina told the cheering crowd, ‘From now on, Ambon is free from conflict’ (Böhm 2005; Jakarta Post 2002a).

Ambon remained partitioned for a few more months, and there continued to be occasional bomb explosions and sniper attacks. The most serious threat to peace came in April–May 2004, when rallies in celebration of the anniversary of the Republic of South Maluku sparked several days of fighting and arson in Ambon. But the people and government of Maluku had clearly had enough, and peace continued to deepen and solidify.

This chapter examines aspects of the conflict in Maluku, analyses factors contributing to the spread and perpetuation of the conflict, and looks at how it finally ended. This is followed by an examination of sociopolitical trends and developments in the province since the cessation of hostilities. The problems of recently returned or not yet returned refugee families merit special attention, along with the lingering segregation and tensions that still plague communities in many parts of the province. The chapter concludes with a discussion of attempts—by regional government agencies and various civil society actors—to revive and reform customary village (negeri) forms of government in an effort to build a more stable and resilient society.