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: compro@ambon.wasantara.net.id Ambon, January 13, 2001 THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS - Report no. 123   BARRICADE POHON MANGGA - The farthest Ambon neighbourhood to the south-west of the town is Air Salobar. Bordering at Air Salobar is a small site commonly called Pohon Mangga . It stretches for a length of about 200 meters along the road out of town to the villages of Amahusu, Erie, Latuhalat etc. The residents of Pohon Mangga are muslim. No wonder they have muslim militias in their midst, since they are just a small enclave amidst christians. However, already for many months they control the only road, bordering at the bay, between Ambon and those villages to the south-west. Many people have to pass that site in and out of town for work, school, shopping etc. During all these months, perhaps already for a whole year, they have no choice than to travel those 200 meters by speedboat. On several occasions people were drowned when speedboats were too crowded and sunk. Nobody understands why the security forces do not take measures to open this short stretch of road and guarantee safe passage for christian civilians.     PROTEST - The detention of FKM executive leader Dr. A.Manuputty (see yesterday s Report, sub no.4) met quite some resistance from the side of the christians. Carrying banners of protest a crowd of christians went to the Governor s Office at Pattimura Street, requesting that justice and truth should be done. There is indeed astonishment among the christians why Dr. Manuputty should be arrested, whereas laskar jihad leader Ja far Umar Thalib can freely go on with his provocative speeches. Answering the request, Police Chief Commander Firman Gani said, that some minutes before, there had been an agreement with the Protestant Attorneys Team (TPG / Team Pengacara Gereja) and the Grass Roots , that the arrest of Dr. Manuputty would be postponed, however, without cancelling the process of investigation. Nevertheless, probably to make sure of this, the crowd followed the Police Chief Commander to his Headquarters, also at Pattimura Street, at a distance of about 500 meters, where they requested Dr. Manuputty's immediate release.   MASSMEDIA BRIDLED - On January 9, the Governor as the Responsible for the Civil Emergency State installed a Committee for Censoring Newsbulletins. Of course this evoked serious disappointment both at the massmedia themselves and a number of Academici from the Pattimura University (Unpatty) and the Christian University (UKIM). It was called a return to the Orde Baru of former president Suharto. Drs. Marthen J.Maspaitella from the UKIM said among others: Who can the people hope for to tell the truth but the press. The Governor should be grateful to the press, for it often happens that the Governor himself only knows about certain facts because reading it in the newspaper!   ISLAMISATION IN SALAS - These days the forced islamisation of a number of christians at Salas is more and more talked about in the massmedia. Salas is a village at the north-east coast of the island of Ceram, not far from Bula. The parish priest of Masohi, regional capital on the south coast of Ceram, Father Jos Kuda Makin SVD, has repeatedly protested against this forced islamisation, but up to now nobody has paid heed to his call for justice.   C.J.Böhm MSc, Secretary of Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina 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/maluku67 Send your comments to alifuru67@egroups.com