HTML pages designed & maintained by Alifuru67 Copyright © 1999/2000 - 1364283024 & 1367286044		Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina [ Report . No. 68 - 29/09/2000 ] URGENT APPEAL - S.O.S. The unrest in the Moluccas has been going on for more than 20 months now. There are very strong indications that a tragic ending of it is not far away any more, being the liquidation of christianity and annihilation of the christians in the Moluccas and North Moluccas. Laskar Jihad Strategy Slower than was predicted in our Urgent Appeal issued on June 22, 2000, but not less inescapably, the Laskar Jihad have been carrying out their strategy of dominating the island of Ambon while ousting or obliterating all what is christian. After taking a few weeks of rest, the Laskar Jihad are now concentrating their efforts on the island of Ambon again. Since last year they have succeeded in cleansing about 75% of the island from christians. After their recent fairly succesful attack on Hative Besar - destroying a significant part of it - and neighbouring villages on the North coast of the Bay of Ambon, they will not have much difficulty to push through to the international airport of Laha, thus controlling all traffic by air. The larger northern part of the island (Jazirah Hitu) is connected with the smaller southern part (Jazirah Leitimur) by a bottleneck where the large christian village of Passo still impedes their progress to the town of Ambon. The christian village of Suli, east of Passo is now uncessantly being assaulted to free the way to Passo. The motivation of the Jihad warriors exceeds by far the motivation of the security forces, they are even assisted by part of these. They are also superior in weaponry and numbers. They seemingly succeed in convincing public opinion that they are fighting "christian RMS-separatists" (whereas in fact there is no RMS at all here nor any apparent instigation for separation). All of this contributes to their immediate goal: conquering Passo, after which they are expected to launch their final attack on the town of Ambon. Ambon undoubtedly will be attacked from the east (Passo), from the sea and from within (the various muslim quarters in town). From Passo onwards, they will meet more than a hundred thousand of refugees, including women, children and elderly people. In Ambon itself they will find a twofold of them. What will be their fate? Many christians swear that they will defend their families and their ancestral homestead to their last drop of blood. Well, they will very likely have the dreadful opportuniy to prove it. Probably most of the christians will still be able to flee to the southern part of the Jazirah Leitimur, crammed together on the last 10% of the island which is still left to them. If in that ultimate agony there are no ships waiting to evacuate them, they will have to choose either to convert to islam (like several thousands of christians on Ceram already did) or to be slaughtered. The effect of the State of Civil Emergency The governor of the Moluccas, Dr. Ir. M.Saleh Latuconsina, as the Responsible for the State of Civil Emergency, on various occasions promised and stated: That razzia would be carried out on everybody in the Moluccas, immediately ousting anyone from outside the Moluccas who had no clear and honorable reason to be here. As far as we know, up to now nobody has been identified as such. On the contrary, there are strong indications that Laskar Jihad are still coming in, both by Jos Sudarso harbour and via Banda and Namlea (island of Buru). The chief commander of the Jihad warriors, Jafar Umar Thalib, was to be arrested. Up to now there is no follow-up of this order. That there would be razzia on weaponry. Apparently too many loopholes are left open. The weapons that are still being smugggled in, are thought to exceed the amount of weaponry that have been confiscated. That the security forces are to be trusted to be strictly neutral and do their duty. But in many cases part of these forces, particularly the army, join the laksar jihad in their attacks on the christians. That the intelligence department of the security forces do their utmost to detect any signs of unrest. In fact, however, time and again they prove their inability or unwillingness to anticipate the strategy of the laskar jihad. That no gathering of masses would be allowed. However, there is no visible enforcement of this. Conclusion The christian community of Ambon doubts the ability of the local and national government to end the conflict in a peaceful way. So - on behalf of justice and the right to live - we have no choice than - once again - to appeal to the United Nations Security Council and the UN Human Rights Commission to come and bring about peace. The least we ask for is, please, to keep ships on the ready to evacuate the still surviving christians. Ambon, September 29, 2000 Msgr. Jos Tethool MSc Auxiliary Bishop of Amboina Rev. Ansis Homenara Pr. Chairman Justice & Peace Commission Diocese of Amboina   Received via e-mail from : Peter by way of PJS Copyright © 1999-2000  - Ambon Berdarah On-Line * http://www.go.to/ambon HTML pages designed and maintained by Alifuru67 * http://www.oocities.org/ambon67 Send your comments to alifuru67@egroups.com