HTML pages designed & maintained by Alifuru67 Copyright © 1999/2000 - 1364283024 & 1367286044		Want to Help? CRISIS CENTRE DIOCESE OF AMBOINA Jalan Pattimura 32 - Ambon 97124 - Indonesia Tel 0062 (0)911 342195 Fax 0062 (0)911 355337 E-mail: comamq@ambon.wasantara.net.id Ambon, April 26, 2001 THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS Report no. 165 1. HOISTING OF THE RMS FLAG Local National Radio Broadcast and local daily newspapers report that at 7.00 a.m. yesterday morning the RMS flag was hoisted in the christian neighbourhood of Kudamati, town of Ambon, by Dr. Alex Manuputty, leader of the FKM (Front Kedaulatan Maluku) during a simple ceremony. About 150 people were present at this ceremony. In fact there were three flags: in the middle and in the highest position was the United Nations flag; on its left the RMS flag (of which the colours are blue, white, green and red), on its right the national Indonesian flag. Mr. Semmy Waeleruny, who is the head of the juridical department of the FKM, then read the text of the RMS Proclamation of 51 years ago. Those present sang a special hymn ( Kapata hena masa waya ) during the hoisting of the flag. A moment of silence in honour of those who died during these 51 years was followed by cheering the RMS struggle. Before the ceremony started, Police Commander Johny Maitimu had tried in vain to persuade the FKM to abort or at least postpone the ceremony. While the Commander went to report to Chief Police Commander Firman Gani on FKM s refusal, this opportunity was used to start the ceremony immediately. Ten minutes later Johny Maitimu came back and ordered in the name of the Law to stop the ceremony. The crowd did not protest when the police striked and confiscated the flags, for they where content that the RMS flag had officially been put out, be it just for ten minutes. Afterwards, in his house, Mr. Alex Manuputty explained about the importance of this happening for (what he called) the Alifuru community, which are the islands of Ceram, Ambon and the other Lease Islands, that have been maltreated and abused without end. In this way he said we show that we continue the fight for truth and justice. We have been colonized for 423 years by the Portuguese, the Dutch, the English and the Japanese, and for 51 years by the Republic of Indonesia, nevertheless we have managed to maintain our own specific Moluccan culture. 2. REACTION OF THE GOVERNOR Governor Dr.Ir. M.Saleh Latuconsina when asked by the mass media declared that this case will be handled according to Law. He also said he did not understand why those offenders of the Law had not immediately been arrested by the police, since they most clearly had carried out an act of separatism. On the other hand he felt grateful that apparently not many citizens seemed to support this action, and that only a small company of extremists was involved. C.J.Böhm MSc, Secretary of Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina Received via e-mail from : Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina Copyright © 1999-2001  - Ambon Berdarah On-Line * http://www.go.to/ambon HTML pages designed and maintained by Alifuru67 * http://www.oocities.org/maluku67 Send your comments to alifuru67@egroups.com