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CRISIS CENTRE DIOCESE OF AMBOINA
Jalan Pattimura 32 - Ambon 97124 - Indonesia
Tel 0062 (0)911 342195 Fax 0062 (0)911 355337
E-mail: compro@ambon.wasantara.net.id
Ambon, December 6, 2000
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS - Report no. 102
- CORRECTION ON THE TOPIC "HUNDREDS OF CAPTIVES" - see Report 101 no. 3.
In yesterday's Report 101 no. 3 we wrote: However, they (the twenty soldiers on the
freighter Shinta, arriving at Keswui) were assured that there was nobody who wanted te
be evacuated. This assured might be misunderstood. Actually this was a lie: the
soldiers were deceived, because all of the captives of course wished to leave.
- AGUS WATTIMENA ON JIHAD PRESENCE - Agus Wattimena (aged about 60), leader of the christian grassroots fighters with headquarters in the neighbourhood of Kudamati, Ambon, accuses the Jihad warriors of having only one objective: the islamisation of Indonesia. They are provoking christians to continue the conflict, thus destroying both christians and moderate muslims. The Moluccas are sort of barometer for them. As soon as the Moluccas are subdued and its ethnic roots eradicated, the rest of Indonesia will be an easy prey. Any reconciliation " according to Agus will be easy as soon as these radical muslims have left. Allowing their presence in the Moluccas is a criminal act by the Indonesian Government. So what have all christians and muslims of good will to hope for from Indonesia? Why should we remain part of this evil country? " Thus a summary of what we read in this morning's Siwalima newspaper.
- LASKAR JIHAD REPORTING ON FOREIGN NGO ACTIVITIES -
On http://www.laskarjihad.or.id (newsletter@laskarjihad.or.id) we read among others (we translate from Indonesian): "The condition in the town of Ambon, which is separated in muslim quarters and christian quarters, causes the christians, whose cowardness and frightfulness and deceiving manners are well-known, to find all kinds of ways of spying on the muslims. To this end they use some foreign agencies, which pretend to have programs of humanitarian aid & It has been proved that these foreign NGO-s, like Medicine Saint Frontiers [meant is Médécins Sans Frontières - MSF) and the ACF are nothing but a web of espionage. Pretending to provide aid, these foreigners take account of the muslims capacity, number of residents, their strength and the weakness. They come and go daily driving their luxury new sedan cars, but in fact it is only a little they actually do for the muslims. It is like Islam Teaching says: the infidels will not do anything good to us. They have only bad intentions. So by giving a little, they want to legitimize their presence and be accepted by the muslims. However, al this is mere cheating. Are not we aware of this?"
- AMBON IN TURMOIL AGAIN - Today, early in the morning (about 4.30 a.m.) a peculiar thing happened. There came a group of about forty christian young men from the neighbourhood of Batumeja Dalam walking down the Pattimura Street. They were brandishing their long knives ( parang ) and spears and were singing the Indonesian version of "Onwards Christian Soldiers". In front of them walked a female still unemployed protestant minister in official black vestments, carrying a cross. They held this march (people say) because of an apparition or a dream this minister got, urging her to do so. Thus they walked up to the A.J.Patty Street, just inside the muslim quarters. The military came into action, and at last had no choice than aimed shooting, killing one the demonstrators and wounding several others in their legs. The chairman of the Moluccan Protestant Church (GPM), Mr.Sammy Titaley, immediately declared that the Church totally disagreed with this wild action. However, the muslims reacted, and in that bordering area there is a lot of shooting and bombing going on now. Its effect is felt in the whole town.
C.J.Böhm MSc,
Secretary of Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
CRISIS CENTRE DIOCESE OF AMBOINA
Jalan Pattimura 32 - Ambon 97124 - Indonesia
Tel 0062 (0)911 342195 Fax 0062 (0)911 355337
E-mail: compro@ambon.wasantara.net.id
Ambon, December 5, 2000
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS - Report no. 101
- MUSLIM ATTACK ON MARDIKA - Starting early in the morning on Saturday December
2, up to Sunday morning, there was frequent shooting and launching of mortirs from the
islam neighbourhood of Batumerah towards the bordering christian neighbourhood of
Mardika in Ambon town. Among the christians five young men were wounded, among
whom one seriously. Military security forces of Battalion Infantery Yonif 527, however,
managed to hold out against these attacks.
- CONSOLIDATING CHRISTIAN UNITY - All christian denominations in Ambon have
convened in establishing a new organisation which was officially promulgated in the
large Maranatha Church, Pattimura Street, on Saturday December 2 by the chairman of
the Moluccan branch of the PGI (Persatuan Gereja Indonesia = United Churches of
Indonesia), Minister Sammy Titaley STh. Its members include various kinds of
specialists like academici, lawyers, businessmen, reporters, church leaders and also
grass roots. The organisation is called the LKPMKM which stands for Lembaga
Koordinasi dan Pengkajian Masyarakat Kristen Maluku = Foundation for Coordination
and Development of the Christian Community of the Moluccas . Basic target of the
organisation is: responding to actual needs of the people of the Moluccas, particularly in
trying to find a solution to the conflict which is actually destroying the Moluccas. It is
definitely not meant as a front line against the muslims. On the contrary, its aim is
undiscriminately humanitarian for the welfare of all Moluccans. It also intends to
enhance mental and spiritual formation activities for christians, promoting justice and
honesty, reestablish Moluccan cultural values among the christians, strengthening faith,
encouraging activities in the field of economy etc.
- HUNDREDS OF CAPTIVES - About 600-700 christians from the four recently destroyed
villages on the island of Keswui, most of whom catholics, are being held as captives in
several local mosques. They are being prepared to become islam, and some 30 of them
are said to have been circumcised already (see Report 99 no.4). This was confirmed to
the Diocesan Crisis Centre by somebody from Ambon who happened to be at Keswui
and had been allowed to leave. He said that the mosques where the christians are being
held hostage, are continuously surrounded by muslims, threatening to shoot anybody
who wants to escape. The freighter Shinta was sent there by the government with
twenty security forces from Masohi on board to evacuate these christians, arriving there
in the afternoon of Desember 1. However, they were assured that there was nobody who
wanted to be evacuated. So the ship returned empty to Masohi/Amahai. A navy vessel
reportedly is being prepared now to free the captives. However, it is very much doubted
whether the soldiers will risk a battle with jihad forces to free the captives. No need to
say that a grave violation of human rights is going on there.
- FURTHER RECONCILIATION ON HALMAHERA - Not only the Kecamatan (group of
towns and villages) of Sahu (seeReport 100 no. 3), but also three other Kecamatans on
West Halmahera, North Moluccas, want to restore normal relations between christians
and Muslims, namely the Kecamatans of Jailolo, Ibu and Loloda. It is even said that the
now 100% muslim Provincial capital of the North Moluccas, Ternate, wishes the
christians to come back. These efforts to make peace are said to come not only from
the government but first of all have their origine at a sincere desire of the local population
to put an end to the whole conflict.
- INVOLVEMENT OF POLICE FORCES - As a follow-up of the attack by muslim forces on Kairatu, November 25 (see Report 97 no. 2), 16 Brimob policemen have been detained because they allegedly involved themselves actively in the attack.
* Attachment: Actual situation in Halmahera;
data from Fr. Berry Rahawarin, parish priest of Tobelo.
C.J.Böhm MSc,
Secretary of Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
Received via e-mail from : Crisis Centre Diuocese of Amboina
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