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, April 25, 2004
THE SITUATION IN AMBON/MOLUCCAS – Report No. 419
1. TUMULTUOUS COMMEMORATION RMS ANNIVERSARY - Today is the 54th
anniversary of the Moluccas RMS Independence Movement. Its commemoration in
Ambon is not going unnoticed. The police hauled down 51 RMS flags. A clash
between a group pro-RMS and contra-RMS, in which stones were thrown at each
other, was quenched by the police at the cost of eight people being wounded by
bullets. Twenty persons were detained for interrogation.
2. DISAPPOINTED WITH NEW DWELLING - According to authorities in charge, up
to now about 35 thousand new houses have been built for refugees in Ambon and
nearby islands. However, apparently many of these remain vacant, because they are
very small and lack facilities like water and electricity. Public facilities are not
available either. So a number of refugees have returned to their refugees sites, where
they enjoy the luxury of these amenities.
In many cases the government leaves it to the refugees themselves to build their
houses, providing for each family a maximum of 10 million rupiahs (± EUR 980,-).
However, not seldom the temptation to spend this "unbelievable" amount of money on
luxury goods is too strong... That is why they usually receive part of their share in
natura: cement, wood, etc. But these materials, too, not seldom are sold to others...
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina |
