HTML pages designed & maintained by Alifuru67 Copyright © 1999/2000 - 1364283024 & 1367286044		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, September 23, 2000 (second report) THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS - Report no. 60 1. Summary of a report from Masariku Network 2000: Today, September 23, the christian village of PIA was the target of muslim assault. The island of Saparua has three islam villages; the others are christian. Following the coast line we have successively the villages of: Itawaka Noloth Iha (muslim) Ihamahu Kampung Mahu Tuhaha Pia Kulur (muslim) Porto Booy Paperu Haria Saparua Tiouw Sirisori Serani Sirisori Islam (muslim) Ulath Ouw During the past week the following christian villages were successively attacked : Ulath, Sirisori Serani, Noloth, Ihamahu - and now the latest village to be attacked: Pia. The assault was launched starting form the islam village of Kulur. Church and houses are reported to have been destroyed by muslim warriors that were brought in on vessels. There is no mentioning of any casualties. All of this seems to be the revenge on the mysterious shooting at the islam speed boat near Ouw on September 18 (see Report 55 no.2). All of the christian villages of Saparua are likely to be wiped out, since they have no adequate response to the modern weapons of the muslims and cannot count on the neutrality of the security forces. Various islands in the central Moluccas have already been cleansed from christians: Banda, Obi, Bacan, East Ceram and North Buru. Predominantly christian Saparua is likely to be next. 2. Masariku Network also reports that today three compagnies of Brimob police forces have been dispatched to the area. Probably due to the fact that earlier the christians refused the presence of military Zipur-8 forces, these three police units are reported to be stationed at the muslim sites. It is also reported that there is no effective patrolling by navy ships to prevent any vessels with combattants to enter the area.. During the 20 September attack from the sea side on Sirisori Serani one of these ships lay anchored at the village of Haria. Masariku networdk was informed that this same vessel fired on the village of Noloth when it was attacked by the muslims. There has also been a report that among the Brimob police that have been sent to Kulur, two have been killed. This may have connection with the rivalry between the military and the police forces. The more complete Indonesian text is to be found on http://www.egroups.com/group/masariku CRISIS CENTRE DIOCESE OF AMBOINA, Msgr Jos Tethool MSC, Auxiliary Bishop of Amboina C.J.Böhm MSC, Secretary 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, September 23, 2000   THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS - Report no. 59 1. The attack on the christian village of Sirisori on September 21 (see yesterday's report no.1), was resumed on Friday, September 22. Some two hundred military organic mortir/grenades were launched at the village, bringing the number of destroyed houses to a total of 161, i.e. virtually the whole village. The attackers, like on the previous day, came from Sirisori Islam and were supported by part of the military security forces and Brimob police forces. Among the assailants were also civilian warriors from outside Saparua, in white dresses and using standard weaponry. The 15 Brimob policemen who were stationed at the border between the two Sirisori villages could not possibly hold on, so the virtually defenseless residents of Sirisori Kristen fled in panic to the woods or hid in nearby riverlets. This information comes from a reporter of the "Siwalima" newspaper, who accompanied the police chief commander, Firman Gani, on his visit to Saparua yesterday. 2. On this visit to Saparua, Firman Gani brought with him 153 Zipur-8 military from South Kalimantan, in order to reestablish order. However a number of christian youngsters of Sirisori Kristen, who were protecting the ruins of their village with home-made weapons, fiercely protested to their presence, being skeptical about their neutrality and also because those troops - they said - were trained for technical jobs and not for warfare. The situation becoming dangerous, the police chief commander ordered these troops to go back to the town of Saparua (the capital of the island of Saparua). It was not reported whether these Zipur military are indeed still in Saparua or have left the island. 3. Apart from Sirisori kristen, also other villages on the island of Saparua became targets. Yesterday in the early afternoon, after the police chief commander had left Saparua, the village of Noloth was attacked in a similar way as Sirisori Kristen had been assaulted previously: with mortirs/grenades and organic weaponry. A still uncounted number of houses was destroyed. One civilian, Petrus Sopacua (19) was killed, four others were seriously wounded. Likewise the christian village of Ihamahu was attacked by masses from the muslim village of Iha. These three villages (Noloth, Ihamahu and Iha) lie not far from each other. According to "Siwalima", the Iha village secretary, Gaffur T., acknowledged to the police chief commander on his visist to Iha, that additional white-clothed warriors had come to their village, but solely for defense purposes, since it was supposed that they would be attacked by christians, whereas they themselves had no more than about a hundred youngsters to defende the village. According to MUI (Islam) headquarters in Ambon, Iha had a deathtoll of five, whereas nine were wounded. Other sources mention a number of eight killed. The total number of casualties during these days of unrest on Saparua is put at 15 killed, 19 wounded. 4. "Siwalima" newspaper today reports on a sad event which occurred on Sepetember 8. Not far from Kairatu on the South coast of Ceram, lies the christian village of Seriholo. Seriholo was totally destroyed on September 8, 1999. Helped by military forces, they had already rebuilt much of their village, though many people still had to make use of tents at the outskirts of the village. Last September 8 was meant to be a day of commemoration and prayer for the villagers. However, for the nearby muslim village of Hualoi and several allied villages, it was a reason to repeat their action from last year. It is reported that initially they sneaked in to steal left-over aready used building materials, such as zinc sheets, but immediately they also started to assault the villagers and to burn down the recently erected houses and the provisionary tents. One of the villagers, named Yunus, said that after all they were lucky not to be in church at that moment, so that they could safe themselves in time, being attacked by more than a thousand white-clothed warriors that were equiped with organic weaponry, self-made bombs and traditional weapons like spears and longknifes. CRISIS CENTRE DIOCESE OF AMBOINA, Msgr Jos Tethool MSC Auxiliary Bishop of Amboina C.J.Böhm MSC Secretary Received via e-mail from : CRISIS CENTRE DIOCESE OF AMBOINA Copyright © 1999-2000  - Ambon Berdarah On-Line * http://www.go.to/ambon HTML pages designed and maintained by Alifuru67 * http://www.oocities.org/ambon67 Send your comments to alifuru67@egroups.com