REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Vice President Jusuf Kalla shared his experience in handling various conflicts in Indonesia with some 200 participants at the fifth World Peace Forum (WPF) here on Friday (21/11).

"Indonesia faced several conflicts a few years ago. They were all resolved properly," Kalla told the forum, which was based on the theme "Quest for Peace: Lesson of Conflict Resolution".

The forum was organized by the Central Executive Board of Muhammadiyah, one of the country's largest non-political Islamic organizations, in cooperation with the Cheng Ho Multi Culture Trust of Malaysia. It was supported by the Centre for Dialogue and Cooperation among Civilizations.

Kalla noted that one of the reasons behind the conflicts in the country was the presence of economic, political, and social gaps.

"The conflicts in Ambon and Poso, for instance, were not related to religion but were an impact of democracy," he stated.

Kalla also pointed out that there were no glaring conflicts when President Soeharto, who adopted a firm approach to leadership, took power.

"Maluku, where 50 percent of the population is Muslim, did not witness any conflicts when the governor of the province was a Christian," he remarked.

Similarly, when a Muslim held the post of the Maluku governor, adherents of other faiths did not have any problems with him, the vice president affirmed.

Furthermore, the Chairman of the Central Executive Board of Muhammadiyah, Din Syamsuddin, emphasized that Kalla played the greatest role in restoring peace and resolving conflicts in Indonesia.

"A number of conflicts, including the vertical conflict in Aceh and the horizontal conflicts in Maluku and Poso, could be resolved peacefully," he stated.

The WPF, which will be held at the Century Park Hotel here from November 20 to 23, will serve as a platform for discussing solutions to horizontal conflicts.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika