The Jakarta Post, 24 April, 2002
One person killed in brawl in Central Maluku
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
One person was killed in a brawl in Central Maluku, prompting authorities in the
province to step up security two days before the South Maluku Republic (RMS)
secessionist movement's anniversary on April 25.
The local military declined to elaborate on the incident and whether it was related to
the prolonged sectarian conflict in Maluku or the secessionist movement's
anniversary, citing the news blackout and curfew imposed by the provincial authorities
under the state of civil emergency.
Antara news agency reported from the provincial capital of Ambon that besides the
one fatality, who was not identified, three security personnel suffered minor injuries
during the brawl, which began at 2 p.m. local time involving residents of the villages of
Yaputi and Tehoru in Masohi regency.
"The situation in the villages is under control," Antara quoted Maj. CAJ Heri Suhardi,
the spokesman for the Pattimura Military Command overseeing Maluku and North
Maluku, as saying in Ambon on Tuesday.
He said local police and military had stepped up security in the two villages to prevent
the violence from spreading to other villages in the regency.
The chief of the military command has ordered troops to take all necessary steps to
handle the incident and to increase security in the regency to avoid the situation from
deteriorating in the coming days, he said.
Besides imposing a news blackout, the governor of Maluku, in his capacity as the
administrator of the civil emergency, has barred foreigners and non-governmental
organization activists from the province, and has imposed a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew
in anticipation of disturbances during the RMS anniversary.
RMS supporters have said they will raise the RMS' flag to mark the secessionist
movement's 52nd anniversary.
Besides increasing security at strategic locations in Ambon, the local police have
launched an operation to confiscate weapons and are also closely monitoring the
activities of foreigners and activists in the city.
In line with the stepped up security measures, the authorities have detained RMS
executive Alex Manuputty, who will be charged with treason for having urged
resistance to local authorities.
The Malino peace agreement, which was signed by warring Christian and Muslim
groups, is proving to be less than effective in ending the conflict in Maluku. This is
partly because local authorities appear to be indecisive in enforcing the state of civil
emergency, while some groups in the province have rejected the agreement.
Meanwhile, the secretary to the coordinating minister for political and security affairs,
Maj. Gen. Sudi Silalahi, said during a visit to Maluku that security authorities would
take harsh action against any RMS supporters who raised the secessionist
movement's flag on April 25.
"The people who do not support RMS have no reason to worry," he said during a
press briefing with the local media.
Silalahi, who was accompanied by Maluku Deputy Governor Paula Renyaan, said an
adequate number of security personnel had been deployed to deal with any situation
that occurred during the RMS anniversary.
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