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, December 20, 2002
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS - Report No. 337
1. IMPRISONMENT DEMANDED FOR FKM LEADERS – At the trial against Alex
Manuputty and Semmy Waeleruny, five years inprisonment was demanded by public
prosecutor Herman Koedoeboen during the session of the district court of North
Jakarta yesterday. Both are leaders of the FKM (Front Kedaulatan Maluku = South
Moluccas Independence Movement) and are accused of unlawful activities,
specifically by ordering the RMS flag to be hoisted last April 25 (see Reports 267
sqq.). Both defendants, however, do not acknowledge the sentence. Manuputty had
already stated earlier that he only could accept a verdict by an international tribunal.
2. IMPRISONMENT DEMANDED FOR LASKAR JIHAD LEADER – At the trial
against Jafar Umar Thalib, one year inprisonment was demanded by the public
prosecutor during the session of the district court of East Jakarta yesterday. The
defendant was the leader of the now disbanded Laskar Jihad. He was accused of
insulting the President of Indonesia and agitate the population during a tablig akbar
(official speech) in Ambon on April 26, 2002 (see Report 269). Jafar, however,
maintained that he was not guilty.
3. CANCELING SENDING OF EXPLOSIVES TO AMBON – Infomaluku.net, citing
two Java based newsmedia, reports that the explosives that were found in Lamongen,
East Java, on December 16, and that turned out to belong to Amrozi, one of the
suspects of the Bali bombing, were originally meant to be shipped to Ambon. Thus
was declared by Amrozi to the police. However this plan was canceled when the
situation in Ambon calmed down since the Malino agreement.
4. AMBON WANTS TO TIGHTEN TIES WITH DARWIN – M.Y. Papilaya, Town
Mayor of Ambon wants to tighten the ties with nearby sister city Darwin, North
Australia. He hopes to come to an agreement with Darwin – among other things – on
tourism and restoring the traditional Darwin-Ambon yacht race in 2003.
5. The Crisis Centre wishes all its readers a Happy Christmas. Thank you for
your interest and concern.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina |
