HTML pages designed & maintained by Alifuru67 Copyright © 1999/2000 - 1364283024 & 1367286044		Ambon Island   Ambon City        Latupatti   Want to Help? MEDIA RELEASE Wednesday 7 March 2001 Emergency in the Kei Islands, Indonesia Just to the north of Australia up to 700,000 people have been displaced because of serious violence and conflict throughout the Maluku Islands. More than 5,000 people have been killed and many communities have been destroyed. Militant forces in the form of a "Jihad" have created havoc in a once peaceful, co-operative community where Muslims and Christians once lived in harmony. Presented as a religious war, the conflict in Maluku has divided communities and those with a common Maluku heritage have been pitted against each other in most brutal ways. Local Maluku Muslims and Christians are sick of this. They are now working together and are refusing to be coerced and further intimidated. The Kei Islands are a typical example and the area has become a sanctuary as displaced people seek refuge. Now there are between 100,000 and 160,000 refugees crammed into a tiny part of the Maluku Islands. The population has more than doubled in a place where violence in 1999 saw homes, churches, mosques, crops and livestock wiped out. People have nothing. Food, clothing and medical supplies hardly exist. People are desperate. Lying just over 300km north of Darwin, the Kei Islands are the same distance from Darwin as Katherine. During World War Two the Maluku islands witnessed bitter fighting between Australian and Japanese forces. The people of Maluku supported Australia and many Australian troops are buried in Maluku soil. We believe we cannot forget the Kei Islands. The world may have overlooked them but we will not forget ! The Riverland (South Australia) congregations of the Uniting Church in Australia in conjunction with Uniting Church Overseas Aid are responding to this need with the launching of a KEI ISLANDS EMERGENCY APPEAL with an appeal target of $100,000. Funds raised will be sent directly to the Kei Islands to be used in emergency humanitarian aid (food, clothing, medical supplies and shelter). The Appeal is non-denominational and non-sectarian. Muslims and Christians are all suffering and dying. The Appeal Launch will take place on Thursday 8th March at 11am in the Riverland Plaza, Kaye Street, Berri by the Riverland Mayors, Margaret Evans (Berri/Barmera), Jan Cass (Loxton/Waikerie) and Rod Thomas (Renmark/Paringa). Other participants will include church leaders who have served in the region and Ambonese people from Maluku. These people will be available for interview. For further information contact: Rev John Cramer 0419846014 (Uniting Church, the Riverland) Rev Scott Litchfield (Uniting Church, Synod of South Australia) 0413439552; Rev John Barr (Uniting Church, National Assembly) 0408826742 or from our web site; http://www.spiceislands.org Rev John Barr, Uniting Church in Australia National Assembly PO Box A2266 Sydney South 1235 Received via email from: Alifuru67@egroups.com 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