BBC News, Wednesday, 3 April, 2002, 10:20 GMT 11:20 UK
Bomb blast in the Moluccas
A bomb has exploded in the Indonesian town of Ambon, killing four people and injuring
about 50, some critically.
It was the first serious violation of a ceasefire deal signed in February after three years
of Muslim-Christian violence that left thousands dead.
The device exploded in a Christian-controlled part of the port city, in the eastern
Moluccan islands.
"It was a powerful explosion" Police spokesman
Following the explosion, a large group of residents converged on the provincial
governor's office, setting fire to the building, police said.
Stones were thrown and police and troops fired warning shots over people's heads to
disperse the crowd, which was angered by the explosion, witnesses said.
The bomb exploded late morning outside a karaoke bar on a central shopping street,
close to the governor's office. One person died at the scene and three others in
hospital or on the way to it, according to a hospital employee.
Some of those in hospital were said to be critically injured.
There were conflicting reports about the bomb. Some people said it was thrown from a
speeding van while others said it exploded under a parked motor scooter.
"It was a powerful explosion," said one police officer. "The perpetrators obviously had
training."
There were a number of minor bomb blasts in the Moluccas following the peace
treaty. Senior government officials blamed the attacks on paramilitaries opposed to
the deal.
Muslim militants belonging to the Laskar Jihad group have vowed to disrupt the peace
process.
Weapons surrender
The Muslim-Christian violence broke out in 1999 - sparked by a minor traffic accident -
and led to more than 5,000 deaths. Hundreds of thousands of people fled their homes.
The violence got worse in 2000 with the arrival of the Java-based Laskar Jihad. Under
the February peace deal, there is to be an inquiry into the group's activities as well as
into two Christian separatist groups.
Since the peace deal the region has been fairly calm, with both Muslim and Christian
communities agreeing to hand over their weapons.
Muslims and Christians mingled freely for the first time in years after the accord,
hugging each other and shaking hands.
The numbers of Christians and Muslims are almost evenly split in the Moluccas, while
Indonesia as a whole is 85% Muslim.
© BBC
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