LAKSAMANA.Net, February 17, 2005 04:58 AM
Reward Offered Over Ambon Shooting
Laksamana.Net - Maluku Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu has offered a reward for
information leading to the arrest of gunmen who killed two people at a karaoke club in
the provincial capital Ambon.
"I will give a reward to anyone who reports or knows the perpetrators of the shooting,"
he was quoted as saying Wednesday (16/2/05) by detikcom online news portal.
"Please come forward. I will receive anyone, whether by telephone, or contacting my
mobile phone, or coming to my office or my house," he added.
He declined to speculate on who might have been responsible for the shooting. The
incident occurred at about 2am Tuesday, when gunmen in speedboats landed at
Hative in Ambon's Baguala subdistrict and opened fire on the open-air Villa Karaoke
club.
Ambon and other parts of the Maluku islands were the scene of fierce
Muslim-Christian clashes that erupted in January 1999 and left about 7,000 people
dead until a peace agreement was reached in February 2000. But sporadic violence
has continued and communal tensions have remained high.
The governor said the latest shooting was carried out by a "certain individual or group"
seeking to return Ambon to violence.
"This was done by a fervent person or group. Therefore the conducive situation must
be supported by all circles of the community. Without the support of the people, the
hard work of the security forces will be in vain," he added.
Ambon Police chief Leonidas Braksan said officers were investigating the karaoke
club shooting and had questioned seven witnesses.
"We are not yet able to ascertain the mode or the motive of the shooting. We are still
carrying out our investigation. Results of the investigation will be revealed later if we
come up with anything," he was quoted as saying by detikcom.
He said 31 bullet shells taken from the scene of the crime were being tested by the
Maluku Police forensics laboratory and the results were expected within a couple of
days.
The bullets were fired from a distance of only about 10 meters and the perpetrators
then apparently escaped in the speedboats, he added.
An Air Force officer who witnessed the incident told detikcom he thought the
perpetrators were professionally trained and had used either an Mk3 or M-16
automatic rifle.
The officer, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was visiting the karaoke bar at
the time of the shooting and ordered the patrons to hit the ground when the bullets
started flying.
Members of the armed forces were accused of involvement in the 1999-2002 sectarian
strife in the Malukus, often taking sides with the opposing groups. Analysts
speculated that much of the violence had been engineered to discredit the
government.
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