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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

THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS Report no. 145

1. GPM SYNOD On March 4 the GPM (Gereja Protestan Maluku = Moluccan Protestant Church) opened its 34th Synod, which is to last to March 14. In his opening address Minister Sammy Titaley STh, chairman of this largest and most influential of the Protestant Churches in the Moluccas, provided a summing up of the situation of the GPM after more that two years of bloody conflict in the Moluccas: 2000 church members killed, including several ministers; 179 protestant communities scattered; 190.000 church members live as refugees; 192 church buildings destroyed; destroyed also 8 Classis offices with all of their inventories.

Sincerety of faith among the protestants has often been replaced by explosions of emotion and craving for wrath, which displayed itself in words and acts very contrary to christian doctrine. For many people faith in Christ the Saviour all but vanished and was replaced by brutal craving for revenge, expressed by numerous acts of violence like killing, burning and destroying other people s properties expressed also by extreme pusillanimity and lack of trust in the Lord. He urgently asked these christians to repent and ask forgiveness to the almighty God.

Present at the Synod as observers are also 25 delegates from protestant Churches in the Netherlands.

2. THE CRISIS CENTRE After reading or perusing quite a lot of reports issued by the Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina , one may ask who or what is actually this Crisis Centre.

Since religion plays an important role in the life of everybody here, people in need often turn to their religious leaders for help. When in July 1999 there were signals that conflict in the Moluccas had still a long way to go, and that also the catholics became target of attacks and destruction, the Bishop of Amboina, Monseigneur Petrus Canisus Mandagi msc, decided to organize the role of the Catholic Church in the arena of the conflict by erecting this Crisis Centre.

It now consists of four full-time and five part-time members. Its headquarters are in the Diocesan Pastoral Centre building in Ambon, subdivisions are in Tual-Langgur (Kei Islands) and Saumlaki (Tanimbar Islands).

Initially its main focus was directed at intervening in the conflict, but principal attention soon shifted to humanitarian aid to those in need, regardless of creed. Much has been done and is still being done by the Crisis Centre in cooperation with the government, with Protestant Churches and with several Diocesan NGOs, most of all Rinamakana and the St.Lucas Foundation . Humanitarian aid was and is provided in matters of rescuing refugees, arranging transport for those who had/have to leave their homesteads, establishing refugees camps, building barraques, providing food, medical care, education and formation. Other activities include gathering information about the fighting, sending out regular reports (since June, 2000), partaking in reconciliation efforts, compiling data, providing financial help in urgent cases, creating jobs by enhancing agriculture, home industry and small business etc.

Though incidentally there are still killings and attacks, however, as a whole the situation seems to be fairly under control now, and the Crisis Centre, looking ahead, is aware that apart from mental and spiritual rehabilitation, now it has to intensify its endeavours in matters of activating refugees, building temporary quarters to stay in (barraques or longsheds). Much attention is also paid to financially enabling students to continue their studies at the local universities and academies. Later on we may be able to assist in repatriation of the refugees to their original homesteads and helping them to start anew there. In all these activities the Crisis Centre does not close its eyes on the needs of Protestant and Muslim victims. However, in matters of physical rehabilitation, the damage of many catholic communities is so enormous that in this field the Centre has to restrict itself to the catholics. We cannot even think of rebuilding the more than 60 catholic churches, the hospitals and other medical centres, the numerous schools and convents that have been destroyed we care in the first place for the thousands of catholics that have had their houses burned down and destroyed and are now living in inadequate shelters. Apart from the efforts of the government and a number of NGOs, the Protestant Churches and the Moselm communities are carrying out similar programs.

The Crisis Centre is grateful for the many expressions of sincere concern and for the promise of prayers, received via e-mail or telephone, for the multiple contacts with officials and reporters, both from Indonesia itself and from other countries, who having come to Ambon gave evidence of their sincere concern. Last but not least we are grateful for financial assistance by agencies and private persons enabling the Centre to continue its mission though we must admit that this aspect is more and more worrying us. We will appreciate financial help, especially in order to be able to effectuate our main focus for the near future: activating refugees and providing more decent shelters for them, especially for the thousands of refugees in Kei and Tanimbar.

God bless you.

C.J.Böhm MSc,
Secretary of Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina

Received via e-mail from : Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina

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