MISNA - Missionary Service News Agency, 18/3/2003 16:33
Indonesia
Ambon: Detained Christian Separatist Leaders Transferred To
Jakarta
Church/Religious Affairs, Standard
The Christian separatist leaders Alex Manuputty and Semmy Waeleruny were
arrested in Ambon(administrative capital of the Moluccas archipelagos), and were
later transferred to Jakarta, where they are to serve their three year imprisonment
sentence. It was reported to MISNA by the Catholic Crisis Centre Diocese of
Amboina, specifying that the incident unleashed multiple reactions throughout the
Moluccas.
Several hundreds of supporters, most of them youngsters, accompanied their heroes
starting from Manuputty’s house in Kudamati to Police HQ at Batumeja in a
motorcycle cavalcade or on foot, shouting “merdeka” (freedom) and “Menamuria!”
while singing various songs.
Having arrived at Police HQ, Manuputty was given the opportunity to speak to the
assembled youngsters, telling them to ke ep calm, but also promising that he would
be back bringing them the RMS (Republik Maluku Selatan – Republic of the Southern
Moluccas) sovereignty. At about 1.45 p.m. both FKM leaders were taken to Pattimura
airport, Laha, by helicopter, from where they got on a plane to Jakarta.
Before leaving they assured those assembled that next April 25 the RMS flag will be
hoisted all over the Moluccas, considered a prohibited gesture on behalf of the
authorities as it is a clear gesture of separatism. The FKM, not supported by the local
Church, was accused by Muslims of fomenting the inter-religious clashes that from
January 1999 to February 2002 afflicted the Moluccas.
While the Christians point a finger at the Islamic extremists of the ‘Laskar Jihad’,
whose leader Ja’afar Umar Thalib will be judged by a Jakarta court next Thursday.
[BP]
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