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 12, 2003
THE SITUATION IN AMBON/MOLUCCAS – Report No. 402
Having returned from a three weeks' visit to the South-East Moluccas, we may
resume our regular reports, mainly collected from the excellent Posko-Zwolle's
website.
1. MONTH OF RAMADAN AND IDUL FITRI – Jopi Papilaya, Mayor of Ambon City,
declared to Antara news agency that the holy month of Ramadan and Salat Ied 1424
went about without any disturbance. He said: "People have learned at last that any
strife afflicts both conflicting parties; there are no winners and all suffer. In this calm
situation step by step everlasting peace is being built in a natural way".
The Idul Fitri celebration on November 25 was disturbed by an internal fight in the
village of Seith on the Northern peninsula of Ambon island. It had connection with the
recent succession of the local village chief. The clash resulted in three residents being
injured and one house burned down.
In the city of Ambon, however, the Idul Fitri ceremonies took place in peace and great
rejoicing, among others by the traditional Takbiran night parade, in which thousands of
muslims took part, mounted on trucks and all kinds of other vehicles – for the first
time since four years also passing through christian neighbourhoods, where a number
of christians joined the masses and shook hands with their muslim brothers. The
3000 security forces on alert had a quiet night.
2. NORTH MOLUCCAS: RETURNING REFUGEES – The Provincial Office of Social
Department reported that 375 returnee families from Bitung of North Sulawesi arrived
by boat in Ahmad Yani Harbor, Ternate, on November 13. OCHA reports that,
according to the Provincial social Welfare Department, 2,256 IDP-s left Ambon to
return to their homes in Ternate and several other locations in the North Moluccas on
November 28.
3. ALEX MANUPUTTY FLEES TO THE USA – Separatist FKM leader Dr. Alex
Manuputty (55), who was arrested in Ambon on April 17, 2002, and consequently
sentenced to three years in prison, managed to leave for the USA during the first
week of December 2003, allegedly to find support for his FKM movement, which –
according to him – fights for the legal right to establish the independent nation of the
RMS (Republic of the South Moluccas). A month earlier Alex Manuputty and his
companion Semmy Waeleruny had been released – according to law – since their
maximum term of remand detention had elapsed. Karel Ralahalu, governor of the
Moluccas, has urged the central government to demand Manuputty's extradition.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina |
