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5.
VP ASKED TO STRIKE GONG OF PEACE IN AMBON
Ambon
- The adminisration and people of Maluku province have asked Vice
President Jusuf Kalla to strike a "gong of peace" in the Eastern
Indonesian city of Ambon on May 20 in conjunction with the National
Awakening Day anniversary commemoration.
Local
administration spokesman, Said Assagaff, said in Ambon on Monday (26/03)
that the idea of the vice president striking the gong of peace, as adopted
by a number of other countries, was inspired by the founder of MKGR (a
mass organization affiliated to the Golkar Party), R. Sugandhi.
"Basically,
striking the gong of peace is not part of MKGR's program, because it is a
strategic activity of Maluku after the 1999 ethnic conflict in the
province," Said Assagaff said.
Assagaff,
who was installed on Saturday (24/03) as MKGR Maluku Executive chairman
for the 2007-2012 period, felt it necessary for Vice President Jusuf Kalla
to strike the gong of peace in Ambon on the occasion of the National
Awakening Day anniversary commemoration.
"It
is time for the gong of peace to be sounded in Maluku because its people
are yearning for peace and coexistance in perfect harmony as the
reflection of the so-called "pela gandong." Pela is based on
friendship between two villages, while "gandong" means
brotherhood between two or more villages based on genealogical
relationship.
Therefore,
Assagaff said the local administration officials would approach Kalla and
ask him to strike the gong on May 20.
"We
hope the vice president, who along with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
have given great contributions to efforts of the settlement of the
conflict in the province, will accept our request and come to Ambon to
strike the gong of peace," Assagaff said. Thousands of people were
killed and thousands others left homeless in the three-year sectarian
violence which erupted in Maluku in 1999 until 2002. (Antara, 27 March
2007)
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