The Jakarta Post, April 30, 2004
Ambon still tense but violence slows
The Jakarta Post, Ambon/Jakarta
Religiously divided Ambon returned to a semblance of normalcy in some areas but
tension remained high on Thursday after four days of bloodletting between Muslims
and Christians, which has left at least 36 people dead and hundreds injured.
In Jakarta, acting Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Hari Sabarno
said that law enforcement and security patrols would be intensified to contain the
violence.
Public markets in downtown Ambon were open and public transportation was running
as schools resumed classes. Pupils and students that could not reach their schools,
however, were asked to report to go to the nearest school to their homes.
A daughter of President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Puan Maharani, visited the Al Fatah
Hospital on Thursday and promised to provide badly needed medicine.
The visit came just one day after a high-powered government team, including Hari,
military chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto and Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar, decided to
cut short their visit and remained at Pattimura Airport, some 35 kilometers outside
Ambon -- instead of going into the city -- due to security concerns.
Speaking to reporters after a Cabinet meeting in Jakarta on Thursday, Hari said that
imposing a state of civil emergency was probably unnecessary at this time.
He, however, promised to intensify law enforcement and security patrols in the
province.
Gen. Endriartono, meanwhile, said that he had issued orders for snipers to be shot on
sight. "I have already issued an order to the provincial military commander. If they find
them (snipers) they should just shoot them," he said.
Agence France-Presse reported Thursday that a young man was shot in the neck by
a sniper in the Tanah Lapang Kecil area near the governor's office.
Locals rushed the 26-year-old man to Al Fatah hospital where staff said later he was
not in critical condition.
Endriartono said members of the Laskar Jihad militia, which sent thousands of
fighters to Ambon from 2000 to 2002 and vowed to do so again this week, would not
be allowed to return.
"We will take steps so that this (Jihadis from Java joining the fight) will not take
place," he said.
Meanwhile in Jakarta, legislators called for the dismissal of Maluku police chief Brig.
Gen. Bambang Sutrisno for failing to maintain security in Ambon.
"There must be an evaluation into the performance of the Maluku police chief because
he is accountable for security. If the performance is poor, he must be dismissed,"
said Ibrahim Ambong, chairman of House Commission I for defense and security
affairs, after an internal meeting here on Thursday.
Commission vice chairman Effendi Choirie said that the evaluation must also target
the performance of the Maluku military chief, the National Police chief as well as the
Indonesian military commander.
They made the statement after hearing a report from a House's fact-finding team
which just returned from Ambon to get first hand information on the fresh communal
conflict in the spice islands.
Ambong added that the security force must not hesitate to take harsh measures
against people loyal to the South Maluku Republic (RMS) because they had been
campaigning for independence.
Franklin W. Kayhatu who led the fact-finding team to Ambon said that the Maluku
police chief should be held accountable.
He added that the sectarian clashes would likely not spread outside the city as they
did 3 years ago, because the Ambonese people had understood that they would not
benefit from conflict.
The conflict has forced at least 607 people to leave their homes for refuge at places
like the Al-Fatah mosque or the Waihaong amusement center in Ambon.
Those seeking shelter come from the areas of Trikora, Talake, Tanah Tinggi, AY Patty
and Air Mata Cina.
Some youth organizations, including the Islamic Students Association (HMI) and the
Union of Indonesian Muslim Students Movement (KAMMI), built humanitarian posts to
help the refugees.
The number of refugees could possibly rise because the conflict had not calmed
down.
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