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CRISIS CENTRE DIOCESE OF AMBOINA 1. CONFLICT BETWEEN MARINER SOLDIERS AND POLICE Last Thursday, February 1, at 10.00 a.m., three Brimob (Mobile Brigade) policemen wanted to enter the Navy compound of Halong, island of Ambon, riding two motorbikes. At the entrance picket they said to the controlling Marinir sentinel they were civilians. When recognized as Brimob policemen, however, a conflict arose, which later on the same day escalated, notwithstanding an immediate meeting by the corresponding commanders. After ten Brimobs badly mishandled four Mariners at Passo, the Mariners retaliated by shooting at the Water Police Quarters at Lateri and at a Police Patrol Boat at the shore. When policeman Erisman Saragih tried to get off the ship, he was killed by a bullet, whereas thirteen others were wounded. It is not known whether the Mariners had any casualties. Thus is reported by Siwalima newspaper today. 2. HATU ALANG RESIDENTS EVACUATED As mentioned in our Report 130, no.1, on January 24 about 500 muslim warriors attacked the hamlet of Hatu Alang, part of the village of Alang Asaude, not far from the little town of Piru at the western end of the island of Ceram. Village secretary Yunus Huwae confirmed to Siwalima newspaper that the attackers were muslims from the villages of Nagalemang and Melati. Besides infantery sergeant Yusman, also three civilians were killed. The number of houses burned down was 84, whereas eight public facilities were burned (church, school etc.). On Wednesday, January 31, all of the 829 residents of Hatu Alang, who had fled to the woods, were evacuated on a landing boat to the village of Alang, south-west of Laha, island of Ambon. 3. KESUI / TEOR According to Synod Chairperson Sammy Titaley, who was among the evacuation team that went to Kesui last week, the number of christians that preferred to stick to their new religion (islam) and got off the evacuating ship at Utha, was not 81, but only 47, all of them Utha residents. Father Agus Ulahaiyanan, chairperson of the Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina, last night telephoned us from the Kei Islands, that many villages of Kei Kecil are desperately trying to get their share of these refugees to provide them with anything they can afford. However it was decided that the eleven village parish of Namar would get the honour of accommodating them. About the evacuation of these hundreds of mualaf s (neo-converts) and them undoubtedly returning to the christian religion, there is not any protest heard from the side of the moslems& However, on local TV and otherwise, they insist that the Kesui/Teor case is closed, and that no further investigation on any violation of Human Rights is needed. Of the 146 mualaf s of the destroyed villages of Kartutin and Kar on the island of Teor, 16 have confessed to keep to their new religion (islam), whereas all of the others have returned to their original religion (catholic) and are now staying with their fellow catholics in the unharmed village of Kerker on the island of Teor.
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