HTML pages designed & maintained by Alifuru67 Copyright © 1999/2000 - 1364283024 & 1367286044		Ambon Island   Ambon City        Latupatti   Want to Help? Report on a Visit to Ambon 27 March - 1 April 2001. Rev. John Barr Secretary for Indonesia Uniting Church in Australia National Assembly Introduction A group of Christians were crossing Ambon Bay in a speedboat in early March 2001. Fighting between Christians and Muslims in this beautiful part of the world has left the region divided. Roads are blocked and the only way to travel is by boat. The faster the better because a moving target is harder to hit. It was Saturday 3rd March 2001 and a boat load of Christians ran into trouble. Large waves swamped the boat and quickly a Muslim boat from the other side came to their help. "Quickly!" the Muslims said, "You must get out of here….these are dangerous waters." The Muslims assisted the Christians on their way and their good deed was observed by Jihad groups who have come to Ambon to "cleanse" the area. Seeing that these local Muslims helped the "enemy", the Jihad group swooped on their colleagues and murdered them. This story was told to my colleague, Joy Balazo (Secretary for International Human Rights), and myself on our arrival in Ambon on 27 March. The story made an impact as we travelled by speedboat across the bay on our way from the airport to the city. Since January 1999 more than 8,000 people have died in the Maluku Islands. Around 300,000 people have been displaced while 110,000 of those people are camped in an around Ambon city. Our partner church, the Protestant Church in Maluku (GPM) has lost 171 church buildings. 160 parishes have been decimated and 6 of the GPM’s 25 presbyteries have been disbanded. 190 GPM ministers have been forced out of their congregations and are among the many displaced people who are surviving in vulnerable situations. Most people believe things are relatively quite in Ambon at present. Two joint battalions made up of three Indonesian elite military units are keeping the peace. These units involve Navy Marines, Army Kopassus and Air Force Paskhas. Popularly known as "Yongab" these units have already arrested 14 military officers responsible for provoking the conflict and most people believe these units must stay in Ambon. Just recently the Military Commander for the Maluku region announced that these units may be withdrawn in May. While there may be peace, just prior to our arrival in Ambon the news came that Semy Toisuta, the 26 year old son of a GPM minister, had disappeared. His mutilated body was later found in the harbour on 26March. He had been circumcised and left in such a way as to enrage the Christians and provoke some form of retaliation. During our five days in Ambon four people were killed in various brutal ways. The last person was a Dutchman, Jan Schart, who was stabbed in the neck in Liang (a Muslim village on the north east coast of Ambon Island). Meeting with GPM Synod Board A meeting with the GPM (Gereja Protestan Maluku) Synod Executive took place on Wednesday 28th March. Earlier in the month the 34th Synod had taken place with the election of a new executive. Pdt Dr I.W.J. Hendriks was elected as the new Chairman for the period 2001-2005 and Pdt S.J. (Buce) Mailoa was elected General Secretary. Important issues raised during the synod included (a) reconciliation with Muslim communities; (b) the return of all refugees to their homelands; (c) rehabilitation and reconstruction of the community A particular focus of our meeting with the GPM Synod Board concerned ongoing relationships with MUI (Majelis Ulama Indonesia or Council of Islamic Leaders in Indonesia). The GPM is committed to working with MUI to seek ways of peace and reconciliation for, as stated by Pdt Hendriks, "We are all people of God…..we have to deal with this tragedy." Pdt Hendriks also indicated that the GPM Synod Board is committed to the unity of the Indonesian nation. Any separatist intentions will not be tolerated. This confronts some attitudes among a few of Ambon’s Christians who are affiliated with the Maluku Sovereignty Front (FKM). The FKM is claiming that the demands of the RMS (Republic of South Maluku independence movement) are justified. They are also threatening to fly the RMS flag on 25 April (51st anniversary of the RMS). The Synod Board expressed their desire to develop partnerships with the Uniting Church in Australia. A formal partnership declaration had been signed by Pdt Sammy Titaley (former GPM Chairman) and Rev Professor James Haire (President of the Uniting Church) at the last Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia in Adelaide (July 2000). The current GPM Synod Board is keen to reaffirm this commitment. A number of possible areas of co-operation between the UCA and GPM were identified and these included: International advocacy and lobbying, particularly concerning international attention to the safe passage of refugees to their homelands. International networking with churches and agencies. Maintain a commitment to providing humanitarian aid and assistance to Maluku. Provide opportunities for GPM personnel to gain exposure to and study similar conflict situations in other parts of the world where strategies and processes are being developed concerning peace making and reconciliation (eg. negotiations between Christians and Muslims in the southern Philippines). Provide resources for trauma counselling, training of counsellors and the establishment of a joint Christian/Muslim Trauma Centre in Maluku. Ms Balazo and myself also outlined a proposed program of the Uniting Church in Australia called "Young Abasadors for Peace". This will program take place in December 2001 and will involve the recruitment of young people from regions in Asia where there is conflict and sectarian violence eg. Philippines, Sri Lanka. Two people from each region will be sponsored by the Uniting Church to spend a period of two weeks in a group reflecting and dialoguing in a workshop situation in Canberra, Australia. Representatives will then return to their respective communities and share their experiences and learning. It is hoped that two young Christians and two young Muslims will be recruited from the Maluku Islands for this program. Meeting with MUI The GPM is serious about dialogue and reconciliation with the local Muslim community. This is being expressed through ongoing negotiations with MUI (Majelis Ulama Indonesia) in Ambon. The General Secretary of MUI attended the ceremony ("surat terima") where the new GPM Synod was formally commissioned at Maranatha Church on 30 March (I was present at this ceremony). Then on Saturday 31st March Joy Balazo the GPM Synod Board asked Ms Balzo and myself to meet with members of MUI (Indonesian Council of Muslim Leaders in Maluku). We were taken in a "Christian" car to Ambon’s Red Cross Headquarters where a "Muslim" car fetched us and took us through a "no-man’s land" or divide between Christian and Muslim (a haunt for truckloads of troops, tanks and armoured personnel carriers). We emerged on the Muslim side near Ambon;s Muslim headquarters, the Al-Fatah Mosque complex. A meeting took place with Soleman Drachman (Executive Secretary of MUI) and Malik Selang (General Secretary of MUI). This was no idol discussion. MUI leaders pleaded with us. "Something has to be done before its too late……its not true that any religion teaches us to kill each other." Solemon continued on in a sad way…"In Ambon God is seen as one holding a sword in his hand….people kill in the name of religon." MUI leaders indicated that, left their own traditional resources, the people of Maluku (Muslim and Christian) have the means to deal with the issues and work for peace. Our problem concerns outside interference. Provokateurs infiltrate our people…."they are like shadows…they are like the wind". They can be seen and felt yet nobody really knows who they are. When pressed, MUI leaders were open in their understanding that Indonesian military are infiltrating Muslim groups, stirring passions and creating havoc. MUI leaders were not prepared to criticise the Jihad presence in Ambon however they pleaded strongly for the immediate withdrawal of all provokateurs. Other Activities Ms Balazo and I visited refugee camps in Hukurilla and Halong. The latter camp houses 1,400 people from Buru other islands. The people are crammed into an old naval recreation center. These people are incredibly vulnerable as they are within 1.5km of Jihad-controlled territory. If attacked (and there are constant threats) they have no-where else to go. Meanwhile, we also made contact with Pastor C.J. Bohm and the Crisis Centre Keuskupan Ambonia (Catholic Diocese) where information was shared concerning the recent national dialogue in the Kei Islands called "Revitalising Local Culture for Rehabilitation and Developent in the Moluccas and North Moluccas towards a New Indonesia." This dialogue was organised by the Crisis Centre in co-operation with the Go-East Institute in Jakarta and was attended by more than 1,000 people. I also visited the destroyed campus of UKIM (Christian University), met with the relocated faculty of theology of UKIM and had discussions with GPM youth organisations. GPM women’s fellowship groups were also consulted ("Perempuan Papalele"). Conclusions In Ambon its time for peace and reconciliation. There is no other option. Too many people have died in this tragic, horrible war. The level of violence and the extent of the destruction in Ambon is dreadful. There are many things which troubled me, for example (1) Hearing stories of forced conversions to Islam in Buru and the plight of some people who resist this by sneaking into the jungle to participate in their own Christian worship. (2) Hearing stories of young Muslim men who come to Ambon from Java and Sumatra thinking their commitment to the Jihad involves community development. They are forced to take up arms and fight. Some are as young as 16 years. Many have disappeared and are buried in mass graves. Their mothers are now coming to Ambon to look for them. (3) Visiting the destroyed campus of UKIM (Christian university) and seeing the grotesque war-like grafitti drawn of the walls of the complex under the watchful eye of the Indonesian army. (4) Being told by refugees that they simply want to go home and reoccupy their land (a significant aspect of the massive displacement of people in Maluku is the acquisition of valuable land by others). While emergency humanitarian aid to refugee locations is important, the main issue is the safe passage home of these displaced people. (5) Seeing many buildings (including churches) riddled with bullet holes. (6) Realising that many Muslims in Ambon are very serious about peace and understanding. (7) Speaking with an old man from the island of Buru who is a refugee in Halong. He had two photographs with him. One was of his wife who died in the jungle while the other photograph is of his 27 year daughter who was captured, raped and had her throat cut by the Jihad. (8) Being shown live, unexploded mortars by a group of young people after I asked that they produce some evidence indicating that the Indonesian military is involved in the violence. (9) Talking to a refugee woman in Hukurilla village (south coast of Ambon) whose 15 year old son was shot by the military during an attack on her village in Buru. This mother was refused the right to bury her son as the boy’s body was set on fire and burnt on the spot where he was killed. (10) Participating in evening worship every night in Sammy Titaley’s house. The local community has done this every night for two years. Sammy says "only God can stop this conflict" and I am convinced people here live their lives as though they wholly depend on the grace and protection of God. (11) Witnessing the vibrant, daily worship in Maranatha Church (central GPM church in Ambon) and realising that (a) these people are really serious about their faith, and (b) maybe God is saying something to all of us here. (12) Feeling sad after learning that Christians and Muslims are involved in name-calling each other. Christians are referred to as "Obert" (a corruption of the name "Robert") and Muslims are referred to as "Acang" (I am unsure where this comes from). From all of this I make the following conclusions: (1) This is not a religious conflict. Religious allegiances are being used and manipulated by political elites to get their own way. (2) The people of Maluku have the ability to deal with many of the issues if they are simply left to do it. The Jihad must be withdrawn immediately. (3) A very good basis for ongoing dialogue exists between Protestant, catholic and Muslim communities in Ambon. (4) The present combined security units comprised of naval, army and airforce components are doing a better job than any previous security force. They must be allowed to remain in Ambon. (5) There is no real future for separatist groups in the Maluku Islands. While one is sympathetic to some of their arguments, Maluku’s future remains in a united, democratic, pluralist Indonesia. Therefore the government of President Wahid (while vulnerable, clumsy and erratic) is the best current alternative. (6) Ambon and the Maluku islands are now experiencing widespread corruption concerning the trade of arms and the control of basic commodities. These interests could perpetuate the conflict. (7) Negotiations for peace and reconciliation between Christians and Muslims is the highest priority in Ambon today. (8) The Australian church can best contribute to the Ambon situation by providing opportunities for young people in Maluku. This experience should involve access and exposure to (a) conflict-resolution processes and (b) working models concerning religious pluralism and mutual co-operation between different groups eg. the proposed YAP program (Young Ambassadors for Peace). (9) The Australian church can further contribute by supporting/offering training for trauma counsellors and the provision in Ambon of joint (Christian/Muslim) trauma centers. (10) The Australian church can also contribute by lobbying international networks and raising issues concerning human rights abuses in international forums. Closing Remarks I close with an illustration offered to me by Sister Francisco, a remarkable Dutch nun who has served in Ambon for 35 years and is now past her retirement age. Sister mentions the importance of candles in Ambon and the fact that they bear witness to the light of Christ among us. She then goes on to say that as the light is produced, the wax melts and burns. Working for a just outcome in Ambon, striving for peace and reconciliation among a divided people, is a witness to the light of Christ among us. But it does not come easily. There is a cost involved and this points to the need for a significant commitment. Light is produced through burning. Peace and reconciliation come as a result of constant hard work, a degree of self-sacrifice and sheer determination. Rev John Barr Secretary for Indonesia Uniting Church in Australia National Assembly PO Box A226 Sydney South 1235 Australia Phone +61 2 82674251 Fax +61 2 8267 4222 Email jbarr@nat.uca.org.au 20 April 2001 Received via email from: PJS Copyright © 1999-2001  - Ambon Berdarah On-Line * http://www.go.to/ambon HTML pages designed and maintained by Alifuru67 * http://www.oocities.org/maluku67 Send your comments to alifuru67@egroups.com