CRISIS CENTRE DIOCESE OF AMBOINA
Jalan Pattimura 32 -- Ambon 97124 -- Indonesia
Tel 0062 (0)911 342195 Fax 0062 (0)911 355337
E-mail: crisiscentre01@hotmail.com
Ambon, April 15, 2003
THE SITUATION IN AMBON/MOLUCCAS - Report No. 362
1. ALERTNESS TOWARDS APRIL 25th – With the annual commemoration of the
declaration of independency of the South Moluccas (RMS / Republik Maluku Selatan)
coming into view, military and police forces will do their utmost to prevent any raising
of the RMS flag on that date, April 25th. No doubt the FKM is planning to hoist the
RMS flag on that occasion. According to Ambon Ekspres daily (Muslim) the little
island of Haruku, to the East of Ambon is considered to be a nest of RMS supporters.
Perhaps that is why both the military and the police precinct commanders (Dandim
dan Kapolres) went to visit the Haruku village of Aboru and its nearby hamlets. As in
the hamlet of Naira they were met with ostensible antipathy, they decided to abort
their intention to go to Aboru and to visit the village of Pelauw instead. However,
Siwalima daily (Christian) reports that on this occasion both commanders went to
Aboru, where initially they were given a cool and suspicious welcome. But afterwards
all suspicion evaporated and the people felt happy to have them in their midst.
2. STATEMENT BY THE BISHOP OF AMBOINA – Msgr. P.C. Mandagi, bishop of
Amboina, fears that any RMS flag raising will result in renewed violence. We may
summarize his recent statement on this topic as follows:
It is not difficult to predict in what quarters there will be victims: (1) It is the common
people that will pull the chestnuts out of the fire for the flaghoisters. These latter will
enjoy the protection of a certain political elite – either in Ambon or elsewhere – that
had them to do so in order to obtain certain advantages, be it the post of provincial
governor or self-government for the Moluccas, etc. (2) It is specifically the Christians
that will be subjected to acts of violence, as they are widely, but totally unjustly,
considered to be on the side of the RMS independence movement. As for me – the
bishop said – I have never said that I support the RMS. Nevertheless the Christians
and their leaders are relentlessly accused of kindling and propagating RMS
aspirations. In case there might be any RMS flag hoisting on or around next April 25th
and it can be proved that it is done by a Christian, then it is on this person’s own
responsibility, and in no way he may be considered to represent any of his fellow
Christians. That is why I am definitely opposed to any RMS flag hoisting and I curse
those perpetrators. I appeal to the military and police security forces to dissuade any
one who might intend to raise this flag. I appeal to the whole the population, including
religious and secular leaders, including also the mass media, to assist the security
forces in preventing any RMS flag hoisting. The bishop ends with appeals to all
Muslims and Christians to close ranks and cooperate honestly to build a peaceful and
prosperous undivided Indonesia and especially to revitalize the Moluccas, which has
meanwhile become the province that is lagging behind all other provinces of Indonesia.
3. "SARS" PREVENTION – As the first few cases of the SARS epidemic in
Indonesia are detected, Ambon is upgrading its vigilance at the airport and the
harbours. Up to now the Moluccas are still free from SARS.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina |
