Ambon Berdarah On-Line will move to its new location in December 1st 2001
5 killed in fresh Poso communal conflict (29/11/01) #1990
The Jakarta Post, November 29, 2001
Badri Djawara, The Jakarta Post, Poso
At least five people were killed and five others were injured when two rival sectarian
groups clashed in the Central Sulawesi riot-torn town of Poso late on Tuesday. The
clash between the Muslim Laskar Jihad (holy war fighters) and Christian fighters
occurred in Tabalu, Betalemba and Patiunga villages in Poso Pesisir district, Poso
Regency. The clash was apparently a continuation of a riot between the two rival
groups in Betalemba village on Tuesday afternoon.
Clash erupts after church burned in troubled Poso (29/11/01) #1989
The Jakarta Post, November 28, 2001
Badri Djawara, The Jakarta Post, Poso
Fresh religious fighting broke out in the Central Sulawesi riot-torn town of Poso on
Tuesday in retaliation to the earlier bombing and burning of a church by rival Muslims
in the regency, police said.
Attacks on Christian villages in Sulawesi leave five... (29/11/01) #1988
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, Wednesday November 28, 2001 4:53 PM
JAKARTA, Nov 28 (AFP) - Five people have been killed during attacks on three
Christian villages in the Poso district of Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province, a
newspaper said Wednesday. The attacks on the villages of Betalemba, Tangkura and
Patiwunga started on Tuesday morning and lasted into the early hours of Wednesday,
the Sinar Harapan evening daily said.
Indonesia must confront the terror within (29/11/01) #1986
Asia Times (atimes.com), November 29, 2001
By Lesley McCulloch
In the current discussion and somewhat impoverished debate on "terrorism" that
preoccupies newscasters and editors everywhere, there has been only limited talk by
a few "enlightened" commentators of the state-sanctioned terrorism that is part of the
everyday lives of many of the world's population. The Republic of Indonesia, often
hailed as the world's "newest democracy", is without question a state involved in such
acts.
Tension high after church bombed in eastern Indonesia (28/11/01) #1985
REUTERS, Tuesday November 27, 2001 6:46 PM
JAKARTA (Reuters) - A church in the eastern Indonesian city of Poso has been
bombed and burnt to the ground, a policeman said on Tuesday, and an aid worker
said the area was gripped with renewed religious tension. The policeman in the
Sulawesi island town, where hundreds of people died two years ago in clashes
between Christians and Muslims, said the church was attacked early on Monday but
there were no casualties.
UN seeks help for Indonesians forced from homes, (28/11/01) #1983
warns of new conflict
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, Tuesday November 27, 2001 4:51 PM
United Nations officials launched a 41 million dollar appeal for Indonesians made
homeless by ethnic or religious conflicts, and warned of a potential new flare-up
between Christians and Muslims in one region.
Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for (28/11/01) #1981
Internally Displaced Persons in Indonesia 2002
Date: 26 Nov 2001
The collapse of the Soeharto regime in 1998 permitted a series of violent conflicts to
resurface across the archipelago. In less than three years, six different internal
conflicts have erupted forcing more than 1.3 million people to become internally
displaced (IDPs). This consolidated appeal (CA) focuses on these IDPs from the
provinces of Aceh, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and Madura, Central
Sulawesi, Malukus and Papua.
Govt gets tough on separatists (27/11/01) #1980
The Jakarta Post, November 27, 2001
JAKARTA: About 50,000 army and police personnel deployed throughout Indonesia
had been readied to quell any seperatist movement, Minister of Defense Matori Abdul
Djalil said on Monday. "We have thus far deployed about 50 battalions or about
50,000 personnel of the Indonesian Military (TNI) and the National Police across the
nation.
Jakarta to deploy more troops in troubled areas (27/11/01) #1979
THE STRAITS TIMES, Tuesday November 27, 2001
By Marianne Kearney, STRAITS TIMES INDONESIA BUREAU
JAKARTA - In a bid to prevent separatist and ethnic conflicts from fragmenting
Indonesia, the government plans to rotate up to 50 battalions through the restive
provinces of Aceh and Irian Jaya and hotspots in Maluku, Sulawesi and West
Kalimantan, security chief Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said.
Indonesia Extremism Worries U.S. (27/11/01) #1973
ASSOCIATED PRESS, Sunday November 25, 2001
By SLOBODAN LEKIC, Associated Press Writer
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - After decades of dormancy under the iron-fisted rule of
former dictator Suharto, Islamic militancy is on the rise in Indonesia and U.S. officials
fear its newfound democracy is threatened. They warn that Osama bin Laden's
al-Qaida network has taken advantage of lax security to infiltrate Indonesia, the
world's most populous Muslim nation. ``Frankly, I think they are more dangerous to
Indonesia than they are to the United States,'' Paul Wolfowitz, a deputy U.S.
secretary of defense and former American ambassador in Jakarta, told the Indonesian
news magazine Tempo.
Indonesia - OCHA Consolidated Situation Report No. 51 (26/11/01) #1972
16-23 November 2001
MALUKU * On a call by the Protestant and Catholic Churches in Ambon, Christians
in Ambon went on a 3-day mourning from 20-22 November to protest the recent
violence in Ambon, which claimed over 10 lives last week, and the attack on
Waimulang, Buru on 1 November that left 4 people dead. All Christian businesses
were closed and transport and most other activities came to a halt. Christians in
government service and local staff of aid agencies stayed away from work. The
campaign included prayers in all churches. Additional roadblocks were established by
hardliners to enforce the protest. Muslim leaders criticised the Christian action, calling
it politically inspired and provocative.
NORTH MALUKU * A UNICEF team conducted an assessment of the situation and
needs of traumatised children in Tobelo and Galela sub-districts and in Ternate city
between 18 and 21 November. On 22 November, UNICEF made a presentation in
Ternate city on play therapy and the Eye Movement Desensitisation and
Rehabilitation (EMDR) technique, which was attended by government officials
departments, academics as well as local and international NGOs.
Ambon Gives Peace A Chance (26/11/01) #1971
Laksamana.Net, November 22, 2001 09:39 PM
Laksamana.Net - Ambon, the capital of strife-torn Maluku province, has opted for
peace after three years of bloody sectarian unrest that left thousands dead. The
city’s Christians, despite facing a renewal of deadly attacks earlier this month, opted
not to fight violence with violence, thereby winning respect from local Muslims, who
have long been disturbed by carnage being carried out in the name of Islam.
Climate of impunity for torture in Indonesia: UN rights panel (26/11/01) #1967
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, Friday November 23, 2001 7:49 PM
GENEVA, Nov 23 (AFP) - The United Nations Committee against Torture said on
Friday that it was concerned about a "climate of impunity" for torture committed by
security forces in Indonesia. In a summary of the Committee's findings following a
review of Indonesia, the UN said it was also concerned about allegations of torture by
paramilitary groups which were "supported by the military and sometimes reportedly
were joined by military personnel".
Little room for extremism in Indonesian Islam (26/11/01) #1963
REUTERS, Sunday November 25, 2001 3:20 PM
By Dean Yates
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's tolerant brand of Islam has passed the test of U.S.
attacks on Afghanistan largely intact despite images of burning American flags,
proving the nation will not become a breeding ground for Muslim extremism.
Riot-torn Ambon turns into ghost town as (23/11/01) #1956
Christians observe days of mourning
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, Wednesday November 21, 2001
JAKARTA, Nov 21 (AFP) - Streets, offices and schools were deserted in Indonesia's
city of Ambon on Wednesday as Christians stayed home or prayed in churches to
observe three days of mourning following almost three years of bloody clashes
between Muslims and Christians.
USAID Field Report Indonesia Oct 2001 (23/11/01) #1954
November 20, 2001
Maluku * The situation in Maluku remains highly conflicted, with sporadic bombing of
locations in or near neutral transaction points frequented by both Muslims and
Christians. As has been the case in the past,, members of both communities
expressed their defiance of such actions by quickly returning to their trading or other
integrated activities soon after these events took place. In an effort to reduce the risk
to people and their assets in these locations, the Mayor of Ambon moved trading
points from the neutral areas considered to be most at risk to other neutral areas that
are less frequented but under tighter control by the security forces. The reaction of
traders was one of anger at not having been consulted and at the prospect of reduced
sales due to lighter foot traffic in the alternative locations.
North Maluku * North Maluku remains perhaps the only conflict/post-conflict success
story in the country. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) continue to return to their
villages, and it has been a year since there was any significant conflict in the
province. OTI continues to assist in the reconstruction of houses, strengthening the
new provincial government, and providing information to IDP communities.
Tension rising in Ambon, Poso (22/11/01) #1952
The Jakarta Post, November 22, 2001
Tiarma Siboro and Oktavianus Pinontoan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Ambon
Tension has been rising in conflict-ridden Maluku and Poso, Central Sulawesi,
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
said on Wednesday. In Poso, where an estimated 2,000 people have been killed over
the past two years, tension has compelled Jakarta to send in a 100-strong company
from the National Police Mobile Brigade, he said.
Riot-torn Ambon turns into ghost town (22/11/01) #1950
Australian Associated Press, Wednesday November 21, 2001 09:18 PM
Streets, offices and schools were deserted in the Indonesian city of Ambon as
Christians stayed home or prayed in churches to observe three days of mourning
following almost three years of bloody clashes between Muslims and Christians.
"Almost all activities have ground to a halt: education, government, transport," said
Sammy Weileruni, a church lawyer in the capital of the Maluku islands.
Amid mass prayers, Ambon paralyzed (21/11/01) #1945
The Jakarta Post, November 21, 2001
Novi Pinontoan, The Jakarta Post, Ambon
Christians in Ambon, the capital of strife-torn Maluku, began three days of mass
prayers on Tuesday, paralyzing almost all activities from administrative, schooling to
public transportation both on land and sea.
Ambon stages mass prayers, city paralyzed (21/11/01) #1944
The Jakarta Post, November 20, 2001
AMBON, Maluku (JP): Christians in Ambon, the capital of strife-torn Maluku, began
three days of mass prayers on Tuesday, paralyzing almost all activities from
administrative, schooling to public transportation both on land and sea. The mass
prayers, called Hari Perkabungan (Days of Mourning), are an expression of growing
concern in response to a series of violence which resulted in at least 10 deaths and
the injury of dozens this month.
Indonesia - OCHA Consolidated Situation Report No. 50 (21/11/01) #1943
09 - 16 November 2001
MALUKU * Bombings and shootings incidents took place almost every day in Ambon
City, some with tragic results.
NORTH MALUKU * Officials from the British Council School Improvement Grant
Programme are visiting Tidore and schools in Central Halmahera district to evaluate
and monitor progress of an education-related activity supported by the British Council.
CENTRAL SULAWESI * The daily Radar Sulawesi Tengah reported that an
unidentified group attacked the village of Kayamanya, Poso district, at 01:25 AM on
Wednesday (7 Nov.). After burning down a house and opening fire on the residents,
the attackers made their way to Sayo village, where five barracks and a few houses
were burned down. There were no reports of casualties.
Al Qaeda 'trained in Indonesia' (21/11/01) #1942
Australian Financial Review, November 21, 2001
Lenore Taylor in London
Al Qaeda terrorists who planned the September 11 attacks trained this year at secret
camps in Indonesia and have links with extremists in Australia, according to court
documents in Spain where eight alleged terrorists have been jailed pending trial.
Contact with nine countries was cited as evidence that Syrian-born Imad Edin Barakat
Yarkas, known as Abu Dahdah, led Al Qaeda attack planning, recruiting and training
around the world.
Indonesian identified as hijacking ringleader's... (21/11/01) #1941
The Star [Malaysia], Tuesday, November 20, 2001
ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (AP) - An Indonesian man whom the FBI named as a contact
for airline hijacker Mohammed Atta was arrested and charged with helping obtain a
fake driver's license for a man identified as a contact for Osama bin Laden. A criminal
complaint filed Monday charged Agus Budiman with helping Mohammad Bin Nasser
Belfas obtain a Virginia driver's license. Budiman appeared before a U.S. magistrate in
this Washington suburb Monday.
Challenge of political Islam to Megawati (21/11/01) #1940
The Jakarta Post, November 21, 2001
Azyumardi Azra, Rector, State Islamic Studies Institute (IAIN), Jakarta
The waves of anti-American mass-demonstrations seem to have decreased
significantly. But this does not mean that "political Islam" will also diminish. There is
strong evidence that political Islam, which has gained momentum since the fall of
Soeharto, may continue to exert itself in the era of President Megawati Soekarnoputri
and even afterwards. It will thus continue to affect not only the Megawati presidency,
but also the course of Indonesian politics as a whole.
More Asian Muslims put religion ahead of state (21/11/01) #1939
Asia Times (atimes.com), November 20, 2001
By Marwaan Macan-Markar
BANGKOK - For now, predominantly Muslim Asian countries such as Bangladesh,
Indonesia and Malaysia can pass as largely secular in their outlook, given what they
uphold as a state.
Arabs on Our Side (21/11/01) #1938
THE WASHINGTON POST,Tuesday, November 20, 2001; Page A23
By Fareed Zakaria
While the events of last week have transformed the situation in Afghanistan, their
effects in Washington have been more comical. Gen. Tommy Franks, who 10 days
earlier was facing a barrage of criticism, is now being showered with praise.
Commentators who had been thundering about Washington's feeble war plans now
extol the suppleness of our strategy. The Northern Alliance, once scorned as a ragtag
bunch of misfits, is now spoken of with awe and affection. We should not have been
so surprised that the Afghans switched to the winning side so quickly. People in
Washington do it all the time.
Ambon Christians to hold mass prayers (20/11/01) #1937
The Jakarta Post, November 20, 2001
Novi Pinontoan, The Jakarta Post, Ambon
Christians in strife-torn Ambon will stage three days of mass prayers starting on
Tuesday in response to a series of violence which has claimed at least 10 lives and
injured dozens others this month.
Police to question Muslim group over bombings (19/11/01) #1928
The Jakarta Post, (11/18/2001 6:09:44 PM)
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Police said on Sunday they would summon for questioning a
spokesman of Muslim group Darul Islam, Al Chaidar, after he alleged that its splinter
factions were behind recent bomb attacks in Indonesia, reports said. "Any information
would be very useful for us to solve the bombings case and to anticipate the
reoccurrence of such incidents," Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Anton Bachrul
Alam said on Sunday.
Darul Islam says splinter faction behind Jakarta bombings (19/11/01) #1927
The Jakarta Post, (11/18/2001 5:57:09 PM)
JAKARTA (JP): Darul Islam, an Indonesian Muslim organization, revealed on Sunday
that splinter factions within the group were involved in two blasts that rocked Jakarta
earlier this month, reports said. Darul Islam spokesman Al Chaidar was quoted by
Metro TV private television station as saying that three splinter groups were involved in
both explosions at the Australian International School in South Jakarta and a blast at
Petra Protestant Church in Koja, North Jakarta, earlier this November.
Bomb Owner Linked To Fuad Bawazier (19/11/01) #1926
Laksamana.Net, November 16, 2001 09:51 AM
Laksamana.Net - A man caught red-handed with several home-made bombs at a
Jakarta hotel has told police he planned to use the explosives to "protect”
controversial former finance minister Fuad Bawazier from demonstrations staged by
pro-democracy activists, a report said Thursday (15/11/2001).
JRS No. 102 * INDONESIA/MOLUCCAS: UNREST IN AMBON (19/11/01) #1922
On 15 November, the Christian Churches of Amboina published a statement
expressing their concern about renewed unrest and terrorist acts in Ambon. The
Provincial House of Representatives also issued a statement, urging those
responsible for the state of civil emergency and the chief commanders of the police
and military to restore peace. JRS Moluccas said five warehouses were burned down
in Ambon on 21 October in an attack that comes less than two weeks after a bomb
blast at a store next door to the JRS office. On 16 November, the Amboina diocesan
crisis centre reported that shooting at night between Jihad, military and police forces
had been going on for a week. The target, according to this source, was the
predominantly Christian Ahuru neighbourhood. The crisis centre also reported that
landmines have been planted in Ahuru.
Church Bombing From Ambon to the Capital (19/11/01) #1921
TEMPO Magazine, November 13 - 19, 2001
Two suspects of the Petra Church bombing admit belonging to a group called the
Mujahidin Kompak group. Why are they targeting Father Martinus Noya? The name
Mujahidin Kompak has become a hot topic of conversation. Police Insp. Gen. Sofjan
Jacoeb mentioned it first. At a recent press conference, the Metro Jaya Police Chief
announced that Ujang Haris, 17, and Wahyu Handoko, 20, had claimed membership
of the Mujahidin Kompak. The two youths have been arrested as suspects in the
bombing of the Western Indonesia Protestant Church (GPIB) Petra, in North Jakarta,
Friday last week.
Indonesia Ponders Peacekeeping Role In Afghanistan (19/11/01) #1917
CNSNews, November 14, 2001
By Patrick Goodenough, CNSNews.com Pacific Rim Bureau Chief
Pacific Rim Bureau (CNSNews.com) - Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim
country, is willing to participate in a U.N. peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan if
asked, according to government officials. Religious leaders have also approved such a
step, saying it was in line with Indonesia's desire to see the U.N. bring the war in
Afghanistan to an end. Some, however, have questioned the wisdom of sending troops
abroad when the security situation at home is far from tranquil.
Radicals At Odds On UN Force (19/11/01) #1916
Laksamana.Net, November 15, 2001 10:50 PM
Laksamana.Net - The Indonesian government’s willingness to send troops to
Afghanistan as part of a proposed UN peacekeeping force has provoked mixed
reactions from leaders of the country’s two most active anti-US Muslim
organizations. Habib Rizieq Syihab, leader of the militant Front for the Defense of
Islam (FPI), says joining a UN-sanctioned multi-national peacekeeping force in
Afghanistan is "a stupid idea.”
Javanese colonialism: Autonomy tests Megawati (19/11/01) #1915
Asia Times (atimes.com), November 16, 2001
By Bill Guerin
JAKARTA - Java has been the power base of the republic of Indonesia for 56 years,
although it has little, if any, natural resources. Many of the other provincial territories
are rich, some extremely rich, but they have never received a decent share of the
national purse used by Jakarta to build up an empire and organize and control the
lives of so many non-Javanese.
Ramadan Begins In Asia (19/11/01) #1914
CNSNews, November 16, 2001
By Patrick Goodenough, CNSNews.com Pacific Rim Bureau Chief
Pacific Rim Bureau (CNSNews.com) - Millions of Muslims in Asia have begun
Ramadan, a month of fasting and other observances that has gained wider attention
than usual this year because of the war in Afghanistan. There traditionally are
discrepancies about when Ramadan begins, because the start is linked to the
sighting of the new moon and varies across the Muslim world. Where the moon was
spotted Thursday, the fast begins Friday. Where the moon wasn't seen Thursday, it is
to start one day later.
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS - Report no. 210 (16/11/01) #1913
BE ON YOUR GUARD FOR THAT "THIRD PARTY" - Christian Grassroots leader
Emang Nikijuluw warns the citizens of Ambon, both muslim and christian, not to let
themselves be provocated by recent acts of terror and violence, that - according to
Nikijuluw - originate from a certain third party that wants the conflict to go on. He also
wishes the muslims God's Blessing on the Ramadan which will start within short
(November 17).
Military to take tough actions against rioters in Poso (15/11/01) #1906
The Jakarta Post, November 15, 2001
Badri Jawara, The Jakarta Post, Poso
The military has vowed to take resolute action against those involved in or instigating
riots in the regency of Poso, the chief of the Tadulako Military Command, which
oversees the regency of Poso, Central Sulawesi, has warned. Col. Suwahyuhadji said
here on Wednesday that the military would not hesitate to take tough action against
rioters. "We mean it." "We want all the battling groups to stop attacking each other,
or we will take aggressive action to stop them," he said. "Don't force the military to do
that. So, please listen to our appeal seriously," he said, referring to the Muslim and
Christian groups who have recently been involved once again in deadly clashes.
Gafur, Fadel in Mega's hand (15/11/01) #1905
The Jakarta Post, November 15, 2001
JAKARTA: Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said on Wednesday that concern
over the delayed inauguration of governors Abdul Gafur of North Maluku and Fadel
Mohammad of Gorontalo could trigger local political unrest.
Holy War 201 (15/11/01) #1904
The Weekly Standard [Washington DC], November 13, 2001
by Claudia Winkler, managing editor
AS STAGE ONE of the war on terrorism picks up momentum, Americans continue
our crash course in radical Islam. We're getting used to the notion that Osama bin
Laden represents an extremist movement with manifestations worldwide. Today's
lesson spotlights a group called the Laskar Jihad, now waging a holy war against
Christians in eastern Indonesia, with a mounting death toll already in the thousands.
Three more people killed in Ambon gunfire (14/11/01) #1897
The Jakarta Post, November 14, 2001
The Jakarta Post, Ambon
Following a strong bomb explosion that claimed two lives in Ambon on Monday, three
more people were shot dead by unidentified gunmen and five others were seriously
injured by gunfire in Ambon early on Tuesday. The shootings, which were carried out
using automatic rifles, occurred when a speedboat carrying ten passengers entered
the Ambon Baguala bay near the city at 6:30 a.m. local time.
Rioters open fire in waters off Ambon, killing three, (14/11/01) #1896
injuring five
The Jakarta Post, November 13, 2001
JAKARTA (JP): Gunmen opened fire at a passing speedboat in the waters off Teluk
Ambon in the strife-torn province of Maluku early on Tuesday, killing three people and
injuring five out of 10 passengers on board, reports said. The three fatalities, identified
as Niko Pelmelay, Yakob Latupapua and Benny Tuhusula, died en route to hospital
due to severe gunshot wounds, a paramedic at Dr. Haulussy General Hospital Johanis
D. Mayaut said, as quoted by Antara.
Violence Continues In Indonesia's Aceh, Maluku (14/11/01) #1895
ASSOCIATED PRESS, Tuesday November 13, 2001
JAKARTA (AP)--Five people, including a soldier and two rebels, were killed in
separate incidents in Indonesia's restless Aceh province over the last 48 hours, local
military spokesman Lt. Col. Firdaus Komarno said Tuesday.
Gunmen kill three, wound five in latest Ambon violence (14/11/01) #1894
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, Tuesday November 13, 2001 11:12 AM
JAKARTA, Nov 13 (AFP) - Gunmen shot dead three people and wounded five others in
a Christian area of the riot-hit eastern Indonesian city of Ambon early Tuesday, the
state Antara news agency said.
Bomb blasts kill two, injure 20 in Indonesia's (14/11/01) #1893
riot-ravaged Ambon
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, Monday November 12, 2001 5:28 PM
JAKARTA, Nov 12 (AFP) - Two bomb blasts killed two people and injured 20 others in
Indonesia's riot-torn eastern city of Ambon in the Maluku islands, a report said
Monday. A bomb exploded inside an electric appliance store in downtown Ambon,
killing the owner and injuring 14 other people, the state Antara news agency said.
Bomb Blast Kills Two, Injures 14 In Indonesia's Ambon (14/11/01) #1892
ASSOCIATED PRESS, Monday November 12, 2001
JAKARTA (AP)--A homemade bomb exploded Monday in Indonesia's Maluku
province, killing two and injuring 14 people, police and witnesses said. Police chief Lt.
Col. Hasanudin said unknown assailants threw the device into an electronics market
in the provincial capital, Ambon. The blast killed a 51-year-old woman and her son.
Fourteen others were injured.
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS - Report no. 209 (13/11/01) #1889
INVESTIGATION ON BOMB BLAST - One of the two involuntary suicide victims of the
bomb explosion in the neighbourhood of Tanahtinggi, Ambon city, on November 9,
turned out to be a soldier named Pattiiha from the unit Bek-Ang (Perbekalan dan
Angkutan = Forage & Transport), Kodam XVI Pattimura, Ambon. The other one was a
still unknown civilian. The military chief commander up to now has not provided any
clarification.
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS - Report no. 208 (13/11/01) #1888
COURT DECISION ON DR. ALEX MANUPUTTY - On November 9 Dr. Alex Manuputty
(see various earlier Reports) at last was sentenced to 4 months detainment. On
learning this decision, Manuputty said he was grateful to the Lord that he was worthy
to be sentenced on behalf of defending the truth. However, he immediately also
appealed to a higher court. The prosecutor, too, is pondering whether to appeal to a
higher court, since the sentence is considered to be too light.
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS - Report no. 207 (13/11/01) #1887
DEMAND FOR IMPRISONMENT OF DR. A.MANUPUTTY - On November 5 the
Public Prosecutor in the legal process against defendant Dr. Alex Manuputty
demanded imprisonment of the accused for the time of nine months (see: Dr. Alex
Manuputty on trial - Report 205 no.2 - October 27).
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS - Report no. 206 (13/11/01) #1886
LASKAR JIHAD LEADER LEAVES AMBON - After staying in Ambon for one week,
Laskar Jihad leader Jaffar Umar Thalib is said to have left for Sorong, Papua, on
October 29, 2001. It is not quite understandable how it is possible for somebody who
is supposed to have house-arrest in Jakarta, to be able to move about freely in the
inflammable areas of Papua and the Moluccas.
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS - Report no. 205 (13/11/01) #1885
Note: From October 16 on up to now - again - Ambon has had no internet-connection.
REACTION TO USA ATTACK ON AFGHANISTAN - According to press agency
"Antara", several hundreds of students from the muslim University Darusallam
("Unidar"), Ambon, launched a demonstration on Thursday, October 11, 2001. Among
other things, they demanded that President George W.Bush should be sentenced by
the International Court of Justice. They read their statement to Vice Governor Dra.
Paula B.Renyaan (the Governor himself being in Jakarta then). They also urged to
boycott USA products and said the Indonesian Government should sever diplomatic
and political relations with this country. Further, the UN should immediately stop the
USA and its allies attacking the Afghan civilians. The OKI members (Islamic
Conference Organisation) were urged to declare jihad fi sabilillah on the USA and its
allies. Further they condemned the burning down of a mosque in Australia and one in
the Netherlands. We needn't expand on the obvious answer they received from both
the Vice Governor and a lawyer, Mohammad Ely SH. Anyway, the mouse had roared,
and it dispersed peacefully.
Bomb explosions kill two, injure 14 in Ambon (13/11/01) #1883
The Jakarta Post, November 13, 2001
The Jakarta Post, Ambon
Two homemade bombs exploded in two separate areas in the Maluku provincial
capital of Ambon on Monday, leaving two dead and 14 others seriously injured.
Linggawati, 51, the owner of an electronics equipment store in the city, died of severe
injuries after a strong explosion ripped through her store, while her son, Roberth, 25,
died before he was able to receive medical attention at the Graha Bhakti General
Hospital. The bomb blast also injured 14 others, including three becak (pedicab)
drivers and several shoppers in the store. The injured were still undergoing intensive
care at two hospitals in the city.
Bomb blasts rock Ambon, two killed (13/11/01) #1882
The Jakarta Post, (11/12/2001 7:33:52 PM)
JAKARTA (JP): After months of restive calm, strife-torn Ambon, capital of Maluku
province, was rocked on Monday by bomb blasts at an electronics store that killed
two residents and injured at least 14 others. In another incident earlier on Monday
morning, a strong blast in the Batu Merah area in downtown Ambon left six people,
including three military officers, injured.
Indonesian military says independence leader died (13/11/01) #1875
of heart attack
ABC 12/11/01 19:20:13
The Indonesian military says an independence leader in West Papua, formerly known
as Irian Jaya, apparently died of a heart attack. Hundreds of people have gathered to
mourn the death of Theys Eluay who was found dead in his crashed car on Sunday
after reportedly being abducted. As Mark Bowling reports security forces have been
placed on alert in the province.
Eight bombs found in hotel room (12/11/01) #1868
The Jakarta Post, November 12, 2001
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Eight bombs were found in a hotel room in Central Jakarta and the police alleged on
Sunday that they could be linked to Friday's bomb blast at Petra church in Koja,
North Jakarta. Jakarta Police Spokesman Snr.Comr. Anton Bachrul Alam suspected
that the two cases might be related because the suspects were all from Ambon.
Indonesia Independence Leader Killed (12/11/01) #1867
ASSOCIATED PRESS, Sunday November 11, 2001 9:57 AM ET
By LELY T. DJUHARI, Associated Press Writer
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - The leader of the main independence movement in
Indonesia's rebellious Irian Jaya province was kidnapped and killed, police said
Sunday. Theys Eluay's widow blamed security forces, and riots erupted as news of
his death spread. Villagers found Eluay's body in his wrecked car in a ravine 18 miles
east of the provincial capital, Jayapura. Police said it appeared he was strangled and
that his assailants tried to make his death look like an accident by pushing the car off
a remote stretch of road.
Violence erupts after killing of Papua independence leader (12/11/01) #1866
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, Sunday November 11, 2001 10:33 PM
Protestors set alight buildings in the hometown of Irian Jaya independence leader
Theys Hiyo Eluay, whose body was found after he was abducted in the remote
Indonesian province, an activist said. Passengers on Garuda flights due to leave
Jakarta later Sunday for Jayapura, the provincial capital of Irian Jaya, were told that
because of security reasons the flights would terminate at Biak, 555 kilometers (344
miles) west of Jayapura.
Indonesia - OCHA Consolidated Situation Report No. 49 (12/11/01) #1865
02 - 09 November 2001
MALUKU * Details of the attack on the Christian village of Waimulang in South West
Buru last Thursday (1 Nov.) still remained sketchy. Unconfirmed reports now available
suggested that as many as 400 Muslims with allegedly some TNI soldiers and armed
with automatic weapons made the well-planned pre-dawn attack by land and sea,
forcing the inhabitants to flee into the hills.
NORTH MALUKU * The Supreme Court endorsed the controversial election of Abdul
Gafur as the governor of North Maluku on Tuesday (6 Nov.). The provincial parliament
earlier annulled his victory owing to allegations of money politics.
OTHER * Following a Jakarta Post report on Tuesday (6 Nov.) that 3,000 Maluku IDPs
in Kupang were facing starvation, CWS sent a report from Kupang that as of
September this year, there were only 557 people registered as IDPs from Ambon
living in and around Kupang. They were either renting their own places or living with
their families, except 30 households who lived in camps equipped with running tap
water and electricity.
Blast rocks N. Jakarta church, two detained (12/11/01) #1858
The Jakarta Post, November 09, 2001
JAKARTA (JP): Police have detained two men who are suspected of throwing an
explosive device at the Petra Church in Koja, North Jakarta, late Friday night. City
police spokesman Snr. Comm. Anton Bachrul Alam told The Jakarta Post that two
men, one aged 17 and the other 20, were apprehended by police not far from the
scene of the explosion after police became suspicious of their movements.
Two killed in fresh Poso conflict (12/11/01) #1855
The Jakarta Post, (11/11/2001 7:34:41 PM)
PALU, Central Sulawesi (JP): Two people were killed and at least six others wounded
in fresh gun battles at two separate locations in Poso regency, Central Sulawesi, on
Friday and Saturday. Police were not available for comment on the fatal incidents. On
Saturday a group of people entered the regency and attacked the locals,
eyewitnesses said on Sunday.
Bekasi church stoned (12/11/01) #1854
The Jakarta Post, November 12, 2001
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Dozens of people on motorcycles threw stones on Sunday morning at a shophouse
that served as a church in Cikarang housing estate, Bekasi. Bekasi Police chief Adj.
Snr. Comr. Djoko Susilo said that the people had attacked the building as church
officials had not heeded their warnings. The people had objected to the presence of
the church in the shophouse and had repeatedly threatened to damage the property if
church officials did not stop holding religious services in the building, according to
Djoko.
Indonesia: Darul Islam Group against freezing assets... (09/11/01) #1848
BBC Worldwide Monitoring, November 8, 2001
Jakarta: A government plan to freeze the assets of organizations suspected of having
links to terrorism has been reproved by the Darul Islam group. Concerns were raised
that such an action would be a bad precedent to set for Islamic organizations who
would be too afraid to accept contributions because of the suspicions it would raise.
This reproval of the government's plan was issued today (7 November) by two Darul
Islam activists, Al Chaidar and Rahmat Gumilar Nataprawira. Darul Islam, as an
organization, would be sending out its official stance on Thursday (8 November).
Militias adjust to free market (09/11/01) #1847
South China Morning Post, Friday, November 9, 2001
VAUDINE ENGLAND
They came from across the nation for a five-yearly get-together in their favourite garb -
orange and black camouflage. One man sported cowboy boots, long hair and a
bamboo back-scratcher. Another had dyed his hair red. Two others wore long
Muslim-style gowns and hats replete with prayer beads. But all of them wore a
distinctive orange and black camouflage fabric - in boots, T-shirts, military gear and
blazers - to mark their membership of a once all-powerful group called Pemuda
Pancasila.
Australian School Attacked in Jakarta, Days After Threats (09/11/01) #1844
CNSNews, November 06, 2001
By Patrick Goodenough, CNSNews.com Pacific Rim Bureau Chief
Pacific Rim Bureau (CNSNews.com) - A hand grenade exploded inside a compound
of the Australian International School in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, Tuesday
night, causing no injuries but damaging some property, the school's principal said.
The incident is the first security scare at the school since tensions increased in the
world's most populous Muslim country following the start of U.S.-led military strikes in
Afghanistan in retaliation for the Sept. 11 terror attacks in America. It came just days
after the twin targets of the U.S. action - suspected terror attack mastermind Osama
bin Laden and the Taliban militia controlling much of Afghanistan - made public
statements critical of Australia. Australia has thrown its support behind the American
action, contributing troops and equipment to the campaign.
Australian school continues to operate in Jakarta after attack (08/11/01) #1842
ABC 8/11/01 1:00:59
The Australian International School in Jakarta is operating today amid tight security
after a grenade exploded in the school grounds last night. Police say the grenade was
hurled over the school fence by two men riding past on a motorbike. The school
principal Penny Robertson says the building was damaged but no one was hurt.
Bomb blast at Australian school in Jakarta (07/11/01) #1840
ABC 7/11/01 13:27:18
Indonesian police in Jakarta are investigating an incident in which a grenade was
hurled into the grounds of the Australian International School in Jakarta. Principal
Penny Robertson says there were no injuries, following the blast, which put a hole in
a concrete wall and smashed some windows.
Fanatics just over the water (07/11/01) #1836
The Australian, November 06, 2001
By Ian Stewart
OSAMA bin Laden's appeal to Muslims to rise up against enemies of Islam such as
the "Australian crusader forces" will attract eager zealots in Australia's backyard,
where terrorist groups in Indonesia and Malaysia have been linked to him.....
Jafar Umar Talib, an Indonesian religious leader with Afghanistan ties, told Indonesia's
Tempo magazine that KMM was part of the Osama network in the region. He said the
KMM had a connection with a group called Laskar Mujahideen, which was active in
fighting Christians in north Maluku. The Indonesian link was further confirmed by the
arrest of a Malaysian KMM member in Jakarta on August 1, when a bomb he was
carrying went off prematurely outside a shopping mall.
Indonesia dragged down by vested interests (07/11/01) #1835
Asia Times (atimes.com), November 6, 2001
By Ken Ntalarana
JAKARTA - When President Megawati Sukarnoputri issued a warning on October 28,
and repeated it two days later, that Indonesia could become the Balkans of the East,
people thought immediately of the troubled provinces of Aceh and Irian Jaya where
there have long been battles for separation from the Unitary State of Indonesia, or
Maluku province, where religious conflict has claimed close to 10,000 lives since
1999.
A grenade explodes at Australian int'l school in Jakarta (07/11/01) #1833
ABC 7/11/01 10:20:01
A grenade has exploded in the grounds of the Australian International School in the
Indonesian capital, Jakarta. Mark Bowling reports the blast occurrred last night, well
after all students had gone home.
Blast rocks Australian Int'l School (07/11/01) #1832
The Jakarta Post, (11/6/2001 10:18:35 PM)
JAKARTA (JP): A strong blast erupted inside the compound of the Australian
International School on Jl. Jati Mulya, South Jakarta, around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.
There was no immediate report of casualties.
Maluku refugees living in Kupang face starvation (06/11/01) #1830
The Jakarta Post, November 06, 2001
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post, Kupang
Around 3,000 Maluku refugees in the East Nusa Tenggara provincial capital of Kupang
are facing starvation following the ending of food aid from a local Protestant church.
The refugees, who had fled the prolonged sectarian conflict in Maluku, said that the
local people could no longer be relied on for rice and other basic commodities due to
the worsening conditions in the province resulting from the prolonged economic crisis.
Indonesian moderates send militant packing (06/11/01) #1829
The Christian Science Monitor, November 05, 2001
By Dan Murphy
JAKARTA, INDONESIA - Jaffar Umar Thalib has finally met his match. Mr. Thalib, an
Afghan war veteran and preacher, runs the Laskar Jihad, a Muslim militia that has
participated in raids that have killed dozens in Indonesia's Maluku province over the
past two years. He says the ultimate aim is to convert Indonesia, the world's most
populous Muslim nation, into a state run by Islamic law. And he's using Muslim anger
at the air strikes in Afghanistan to recruit new members. If Indonesian authorities
attempt to arrest him, Thalib threatens to spread his jihad to Indonesia's main island
of Java.
ASEAN Rejects Call For Halt To Afghanistan Bombing (06/11/01) #1828
CNSNews, November 05, 2001
By Patrick Goodenough, CNSNews.com Pacific Rim Bureau Chief
Pacific Rim (CNSNews.com) - For the second time in less than three weeks, an
Asian gathering has denounced the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks against the U.S, while
avoiding any reference to the war in Afghanistan because of the unease of Muslim
participants. Members of the Association of South East Nations (ASEAN) met in
Brunei with their northern neighbors from China, Japan and South Korea. In a
declaration, they condemned the Sept. 11 attacks in the U.S., rejecting attempts to
link terrorism with "any religion and race."
Indonesia - OCHA Consolidated Situation Report No. 48 (06/11/01) #1827
26 October - 02 November 2001
MALUKU * Laskar Jihad leader Jafar Umar Thalib ended his visit to Ambon with a call
for Muslims in Maluku to consolidate their efforts to meet the challenges facing the
community during the fasting month (Ramadan). During a meeting with Muslim
leaders on Saturday (27 Oct.), he stated that he would continue to fight for the
implementation of Syariah law throughout Indonesia. Hundreds of people attacked the
predominantly Christian village of Waimulang on Buru Island Thursday (1 Nov.), killing
three and burned down almost all 350 houses in the village. The attack, launched from
land and sea (using at least 14 vessels) in the early morning, forced some 1,000
villagers to flee into the nearby jungle. The attackers were reported to have stayed put
and occupied the village. There are already around 4,000 IDPs in the camps in the
mountainous terrain nearby.
Australian Embassy in Jakarta shut down (06/11/01) #1825
ABC 5/11/01 22:31:27
A section of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta had to be shut down and cleaned
earlier today after a diplomat received an envelope containing a white powder. Mark
Bowling reports from Jakarta, the envelope and its contents have been sent for
testing.
Three killed in fresh violence in Maluku (05/11/01) #1822
The Jakarta Post, November 02, 2001
Novi Pinontoan, The Jakarta Post, Ambon
After months of tense calm, violence returned to Maluku with the murder of three
villagers following attacks by groups of gunmen in the Buru islands early on Thursday.
The armed attackers, numbering hundreds of people, raided the predominantly
Christian village of Waimulang on Buru island in the province of Maluku. They
launched land and sea assaults at around 7 a.m. local time, officials said.
New violence kills three in riot-torn Indonesian spice islands (05/11/01) #1820
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, Friday November 2, 2001 1:01 PM
JAKARTA, Nov 2 (AFP) - Hundreds of armed attackers killed three villagers in the
latest violence to hit Indonesia's Maluku islands, which have been ravaged by almost
three years of violence between Muslims and Christians. The group descended on the
predominantly-Christian village of Waimulang on Buru island on Thursday morning,
killing three residents and burning down almost the whole settlement, the Jakarta
Post said Friday.
Villagers killed in island raid (05/11/01) #1819
The Daily Telegraph, November 3, 2001
JAKARTA: Hundreds of armed attackers killed three villagers in the latest violence on
Indonesia's Maluku islands, which have been ravaged by almost three years of
violence between Muslims and Christians, it was reported yesterday. The group
descended on the predominantly-Christian village of Waimulang on Buru island
yesterday morning, killing three residents and burning down most of the settlement,
the Jakarta Post said. More than 1000 residents fled to the jungle and the fate of 13
military officers who were in the village at the time was unknown.
Terrorists and Freedom Fighters (05/11/01) #1818
THE WORLD TODAY, November 2001 issue
By Damien Kingsbury and Lesley McCulloch
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim country and the backing of its new
President was an important early victory for America's coalition. But that support
rapidly came under severe strain from radical Islamic groups which themselves are
accused of taking part in state terror....
Thousands of Laskar Jihad (holy warriors), for example, travelled from Java to the
troubled province of the South Maluku in late 1999 where they attacked Christians
already in conflict with local Muslims. Apart from a death toll of around eight
thousand, and more than half a million refugees, the Laskar Jihad has created a
climate of fear and uncertainty there. It has also engaged in genital mutilation of
Christians in a bid to force their religious conversion. Christians retaliated and the
conflict intensified. Society is now far more deeply segregated than ever. The Laskar
Jihad was trained in West Java by members of the TNI's Special Forces (Kopassus)
and funded by politicians and businessmen who use Islam for political purposes.
Members of the state security apparatus arranged the arrival of between three and four
thousand Laskar Jihad members in the town of Ambon in South Maluku alone. This
radical Muslim organisation received arms, training and other resources from the
military. In addition to this 'state' support, agents of Osama Bin Laden have worked
with the Laskar Jihad, and travelled to the South Maluku with them, where they were
warmly welcomed. Yet it is unlikely the government would ever label this group as
terrorists. To do so would risk a domestic backlash.
Indonesian radicals rally force of 100,000 (05/11/01) #1815
The Courier-Mail, November 3, 2001
Chris Griffith
A RADICAL Indonesian Islamic group with confirmed links to Osama bin Laden and
with Australian members wants to send 100,000 troops to Afghanistan to join the
Taliban.....
Darul Islam has been linked to several coup attempts and openly claims links to bin
Laden. Darul Islam faction leader Al Chaidar said a representative of bin Laden had
made four visits to Indonesia – to Aceh, West Java, and twice to Maluku. Al Chaidar
also claims that 5000 members along with 25,000 other Indonesians fought in
Afghanistan in the 1980s alongside the Mujahideen in the war against the Soviet
Union.
ISLAM'S CRUEL CRUSADERS (02/11/01) #1813
NEW YORK POST, Wednesday, October 31, 2001
By JONATHAN FOREMAN
LAST weekend's appalling massacre of Christians in Pakistan - and the fact that it is
part of a pattern of oppression there and in other Muslim countries that predates our
campaign in Afghanistan - should clarify the media's rather muddy picture of today's
Islamic world....
Indonesia's Molucca islands have actually been the scene of forced conversions and
large-scale murder of Christians by Islamic fundamentalists of the Laskar Jihad
movement over the past three years. Some 5,000 have died and 500,000 more been
displaced, with the armed forces turning a blind eye or even taking part in the
atrocities.
Hardline Indonesian Muslim groups demand Islamic law (02/11/01) #1812
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, Thursday November 1, 2001 3:39 PM
JAKARTA, Nov 1 (AFP) - Up to 500 members of several hardline Indonesian Muslim
groups on Thursday protested at parliament, demanding that the constitution be
revised to oblige Muslims to follow Islamic Sharia law....
Among the groups were the Front for the Defenders of Islam (FPI), the FPI chapter in
Solo, Central Java, the Laskar Jihad (Jihad Force), Hizbullah and the Association of
the Brotherhood for Indonesian Muslim Workers.
Intelligence - US Cautious With Indonesian Ties (02/11/01) #1811
Mixed Blessings For Indonesia
FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW, Issue cover dated November 8, 2001
The U.S. Senate has signalled that it wants Washington to move cautiously in
resuming ties with Indonesia's armed forces. But the Senate, in its new Foreign
Operations Bill, increased its budget for bilateral aid to Indonesia in 2002 from about
$115 million to $130 million. The bill, which cleared the Senate in late October,
introduces several new conditions before the United States and Indonesia can resume
military relations. These conditions include punishing those involved in the murder of
three humanitarian aid workers in West Timor in September 2000, allowing civilian
officials to audit receipts and expenditures of the armed forces, granting international
humanitarian-aid workers access to West Timor, Aceh, West Papua and the
Moluccas and releasing political detainees.
Brawl breaks out in Indonesia's top assembly (02/11/01) #1810
REUTERS, Thursday November 1, 2001 12:36 PM
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Dozens of Indonesian legislators fought and threw punches
during a nationally televised brawl that forced a temporary suspension of the annual
session of the country's top assembly on Thursday.
Fresh violence breaks out in Maluku, three dead (02/11/01) #1809
The Jakarta Post, (11/1/2001 5:09:59 PM)
AMBON, Maluku (JP): After months of tense calm, violence returned to Maluku with
the murder of three villagers following attacks by groups of gunmen in the Buru islands
early on Thursday. The armed attackers, numbering hundreds of people, raided the
predominantly Christian village of Waimulang on Buru island in the province of Maluku.
They launched land and sea assaults at around 7 a.m. local time, officials said.
Megawati urges end to U.S. strikes (02/11/01) #1804
CNN, November 1, 2001 Posted: 2:41 AM EST (0741 GMT
JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri has called for a
ceasefire in Afghanistan warning that the longer the conflict continues the more likely
the global coalition against terrorism would crumble. Speaking at the opening of the
annual 10-day session of Indonesia's supreme People's Consultative Assembly (MPR)
she said military action should be halted during the upcoming Muslim holy month of
Ramadan and as well as Christmas.
Stoking Southeast Asia Tensions (01/11/01) #1800
The International Herald Tribune, Wednesday, October 31, 2001
By Thomas Fuller International Herald Tribune
Afghan War Risks Radicalizing Muslims, Analysts Warn. When Muhammad Shukri
Sattar, a 24-year-old Malaysian university student, was arrested last month in
Thailand while attempting to ride his motor scooter to Afghanistan, it provided a dose,
perhaps perversely, of comic relief for diplomats and officials in Malaysia. Mr.
Muhammad, who told officials he had wanted to "help" Afghans under attack by the
United States, was ill-prepared for what would have been a journey of more than 8,000
kilometers (3,100 miles) across at least five countries. He was carrying the equivalent
of about $20 and was arrested after Thai police discovered that he had entered the
country illegally and had no driver's license or vehicle registration.
I gave the money to an Islamic foundation: Akbar (01/11/01) #1799
The Jakarta Post, Nov. 1, 2001
JAKARTA (JP): House of Representatives (DPR) Speaker Akbar Tandjung said on
Wednesday that he did not keep Rp 40 billion (US$4 million) in nonbudgetary funds
belonging to the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) but had handed it over to an Islamic
foundation. "I gave the money to an Islamic foundation, named Raudhatul Jannah,"
Akbar, who was the state secretary when the alleged transaction was made, was
quoted as saying by SCTV television station after four hours of questioning at the
office of the deputy attorney general for general crimes.
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