THREE years ago he was a war commander. Leading hundreds of troops and carrying a gun, he entered the forests of Seram Island, Maluku, where he fought against Christians, killing with intense rage. At that time, Abubakar Riry represented an aura of blazing war. "We got satisfaction from such slaughter," he admitted.

Abubakar is now a changed man. Today he is a courteous figure and flies the white flag of peace. Nicknamed Buce, he is an acti