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, August 22, 2002
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS – Report No. 311
1. COURT SESSION OF FKM CASE - On August 19 the North Jakarta District Court
opened the case of the separatist FKM (Front Kedaulatan Maluku) Movement. FKM
leaders Alexander Hermanus Manuputty and Semmy Waeleruny were charged with
hoisting the RMS flag on April 25, 2002 and various efforts to establish the
independent state of the South Moluccas (RMS: Republik Maluku Selatan).
Theoretically spoken, the maximum verdict can amount to the death sentence.
Several hundreds of FKM supporters crowded the front yard of the Court building.
2. THOUSANDS OF REFUGEES WANT TO RETURN - 41.962 Christian refugees
(IDP-s) from the Moluccas and the North Moluccas, now staying in North Celebes
(Sulawesi), have asked the government to return them to their homesteads. This
request has been spurred by the fact that all humanitarian aid to them by the
government and foreign NGO-s has stopped. Meanwhile some 34.000 Muslim
refugees from the areas of Tobelo, Galela, Loloda and Ibu (island of Halmahera, North
Moluccas) are urging the government (North Moluccas Prosecutor and Police) to start
investigation on supposed misapplication by government officials of funds that should
have been put to the use of refugees. Ambon daily newspaper Siwalima quotes Antara
news agency saying that the missing funds amount to a staggering 78 billion rupiahs
(Euro 9.000.000,-).
3. LAND MINES ON SAPARUA - The scourge of land mines apparently is not
restricted to the island of Ambon. Its eastern neighbour, the island of Saparua, turns
out to be infested with these lethal devices as well. On August 20 Gilberth Wattimury
(37) from the village of Porto, together with his wife on his way to his crops, stepped
on a land mine. His left leg and buttocks were shattered. His leg was amputated in
Saparua hospital.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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