LAKSAMANA.Net, March 26, 2003 11:57 PM
Students Threaten to Expel Westerners
Laksamana.Net - Muslim students in Ambon, Maluku province, have threatened to
round up and expel Americans, Britons and Australians in protest of the US-led
military assault on Iraq.
The Peace-Loving Student Front of the Ambon State Institute of Islamic Studies
(STAIN) on Wednesday (26/3/03) said it would sweep the Westerners out of Ambon
unless the US and its allies immediately cease their aggression that has already
killed many Iraqi civilians.
"We are even ready to be dispatched to Iraq as volunteers because we have
experience as fighters in Ambon following the human tragedy which broke out [here]
on January 19, 1999," the students said in a statement.
The Maluku islands were ravaged by three years of sectarian violence between
Muslims and Christians since January 1999. More than 7,000 people were killed in
the conflict.
Sporadic incidents of violence continued after the warring sides signed a
government-sponsored peace treaty in February 2002. The conflict markedly declined
later that year after the withdrawal of fighters from the Java-based Islamic paramilitary
organization Laskar Jihad.
The government, military and police have pledged to protect Westerners in Indonesia
and vowed to take stern action against any groups that threaten foreigners.
Earlier this week 10 Muslim radicals were arrested in Jakarta for intimidating three
Westerners.
State news agency Antara reported Wednesday that at least 87 American expatriate
workers had left Riau province, in central-eastern Sumatra, over recent days.
"They were mostly employees of US oil company PT Caltex," said Sukohardi Basuki,
head of the local immigration office.
He said the first group of 68 Americans left for Singapore last Saturday on board a
flight by domestic airline Merpati.
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