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September 2000 * ( English )    The Systematic Murder of Moluccan Christians (29/09/2000) #497 The fact of the matter is, the military pretend to be the protector of the people, but in reality they are still actively aiding the Moslems in destroying the Christians population in the Moluccan islands. It is obvious that the military and the Moslem jihad have a “symbiotic” relationship. The military like to preserve their dual function in the Indonesian society, while on the other hand the fundamentalist Moslem would see that Indonesia become an Islamic state. It's inaccurate to say that what happen in the islands is a result of a sectarian war between Moslems and Christians. Historical Pictures of RMS = Republik Maluku Salam (29/09/2000) RMS Historical Picture 1 - RMS Historical Picture 2 Pictures of Victims from the Attack on Hative Besar (29/09/2000) Map of the islands around Saparua Island - Pulau-pulau Lease SOS Appeal from Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina (29/09/2000) #495 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). Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina - Report no. 66 & 67 (28/09/2000) #492 At the evening news on local TV, military chief commander I Made Yasa acknowledged to the mass media that the leader of the Laskar Jihad, Jafar Umar Thalib, must be interrogated, because of his influence on recent development of the situation in Ambon, both negative and positive. But - he said - it was not his competence to summon him. The Attack on Hative Besar Village by Muslim Mobs (27/09/2000) #490 Today, 26th September 2000, a morning attack was made of the area around the village of Hatiwe Besar (a Christian village) on the island of Ambon. This attack took place at 8.30 WIT in the morning when all the members of the Christian and Catholic community were preparing themselves to attend the opening service for the Week of Mourning, an contemplative activity that has been agreed by all the Protestant Churches and the Roman Catholic Church in the Moluccas in order to wrestle with and reflect on the persecution and the situation faced by the Church in the Moluccas. Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina - Report no. 65 (27/09/2000)  #489 After post-mortem examination on the body of Betty Leinata, the nurse who was killed in Sahuru, it was reported by the responsible physician of the hospital in Kudamati, that there was no apparent indication that Betty was sexually molested before being murdered. Neither was there any mentioning of her body being cut into pieces. She apparently had been shot and her right shoulder had been cut. An Appeal to International Community from Maluku (27/09/2000) #487 The situation in the Moluccas and in the city of Ambon up to the time of making this appeal (15th September 2000), is increasingly causing anxiety. Moluccan Community is becoming increasingly concerned and anxious in facing an "Unnerving Calm". The community is witnessing the fact that the terrorists are hiding (not stopping) their acts of terrorism by using veiled strategies in preparation for the next onslaught of destruction. The community is feeling even more concerned because of the clear signs that indicate future acts of destruction that wii be more tragic than the previous ones. Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina - Report no. 63 (26/09/2000) #483 However, own sources tells us that this morning muslims attacked and burned the village of Wailete. Wailete lies on the opposite shore of the bay of Ambon. Christians who travel between Ambon town and Laha airport, usually go by speedboat from Gudang Arang (Ambon) to Wailete; from Wailete by car to Laha (and the other way round). Now the only alternative way left for christians who want to go to the airport, is disembarking at the village of Tawiri, close to Laha. Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina - Report no. 62 (25/09/2000) #482 This morning an attack was launched on Suli Bawah ("Lower Suli" = Suli at the coast), at a short distance from Suli Atas or "Upper Suli", where a military training centre is situated. Suli lies in the eastern part of Ambon island, south-west of the islam village of Tulehu, whereas the islam village of Tial lies to the east and the large christian village of Passo lies to the west. Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina - Report no. 61 (25/09/2000) #479 Tomorrow sixteen combined christian churches in Ambon will start nine days of mourning, repentance and prayer (up to October 4). The opening day is to be a day of fasting and abstinence, abstaining also from daily work. Christians are asked to wear a mourning patch on their left sleeves. Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina - Report no. 59 & 60 (23/09/2000) #476 Apart from Sirisori kristen, also other villages on the island of Saparua became targets. Yesterday in the early afternoon, after the police chief commander had left Saparua, the village of Noloth was attacked in a similar way as Sirisori Kristen had been assaulted previously: with mortirs/grenades and organic weaponry. A still uncounted number of houses was destroyed. One civilian, Petrus Sopacua (19) was killed, four others were seriously wounded. Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina - Report no. 58 (22/09/2000) #469 The conflict on the island of Saparua which lies not far from Ambon, with only the island of Haruku between them escalated on September 21. At 2.00 p.m. an attack was launched at the village of Sirisori Amalatu (christian) by muslim fighters from Sirisori Islam, enforced by warriors from other places, who had come on nine speedboats. The assault was apparently well organized and the attackers used bombs, grenades and automatic weapons to which the Brimob polices forces had not adequate response. Atambua or Molucca: No More Time To Wait (21/09/2000) #466 I was very suprised to see the reaction from international world that occured over the murder of three members of the UNHCR in Atambua, East Timor recently. Even more to the statement made by the UN Security Council as a strong response toward the incident. At the same time I am disappointed to see that our struggle to get the international attention on the humanitarian tragedy in the Moluccas gets a weak slow response. I was struck by a reality of injustice not only in a national scale in Indonesia but also internationally. Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina - Report no. 56 & 57 (21/09/2000) #465 The conflict between the villages of Sirisori Islam and Ulath on the island of Saparua (see Report 55 no.2) flared up again on Wednesday, September 20, early in the morning (from 4.00 a.m. to 6.30 a.m.). It started when an Ulath villager by the name of Buang Ahuluheluw, was killed by a bullet from afar while he was cleaning up the ruins of his house which had been burned the day before. Another one was seriously wounded. Facing New Challenges Towards A New Indonesia (20/09/2000) #463 "What is happening in the Moluccas now cannot possibly be called 'riots' or 'violence' or 'bloody conflict' or even 'war': this is an organized cold-blooded murdering of innocent people, conceded by the Moslems themselves by means of the loudspeakers of their mosques which call for annihilating all 'Christian infidels'. The violence can no longer be looked on as a conflict, but a straight-forward endeavour to clear the Moluccas from everything that is Christian." In reality Christians were already wiped out from some areas in the northern Moluccas such as Ternate, Tidore, Morotai, Obi, Bacan, Sula, Buru. Ambon and other parts of the Moluccas have become killing-fields. Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina - Report no. 55 (19/09/2000) #462 We add to this report both straight and as attachment a discourse by Rev. J. Mangkey Msc, a Manadonese priest, presented at the Annual Conference of Kirche in Not / Church in Need in Königstein, Germany, on 19 September 2000. (Click Here to download). For any reaction to this discourse please contact ioanem@misacor.org. Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina - Report no. 54 (16/09/2000) #460 After the meeting, the police chief commander, Mr. Firman Gani, declared to the press that it was a strictly informal meeting (silahturahmi), and had no connection with any investigation that is planned towards Jaffar Umar Thalib following his speech in the Al-Fatah Mosque on September 3. He also declared that the governor had asked Jaffar to endorse his efforts to bring about peace to the Moluccas without any further bloodshed.   Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina - Report no. 53 (14/09/2000) #458 The Crisis Centre acknowledges to have hardly any contact with the muslim civilians in Ambon. On September 13 some christians had the opportunity to visit the muslim refugees camp at the Ambon neighhourhood of Waihaong. Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina - Report no. 52 (13/09/2000) #453 Though the governor, Dr.Ir. Saleh M.Latuconsina. had stated that the PELNI passengerships, which, starting on September 11, will dock at Ambon again, will not dock at the main harbour Jos Sudarso Harbour (dominated by muslims), but at the neutral naval base of Halong, this decision was suddenly cancelled: The MS Rinjani , upon entering Ambon Bay, headed straight for Jos Sudarso harbour with permission of the governor. Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina - Report no. 51 (12/09/2000) #452 The Tabligh Akbar ( official lecture ) by the leader of the Jihad Communication Forum Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah, Ustad Jaffar Umar Tahlib, in the Ambon Al-Fatah Mosque on September 3, which was broadcasted on Radio Gema Suara Muslim is still much being talked and written about. The governor ordered him to be arrested on account of his provocative words, which jeopardize the recent relative conducive situation in Ambon. However, such a thing is not easy, for it may induce unanticipated reactions. Nevertheless people are asking: What is the use of having isolated Ambon during one month (August 10th - September 10th) if provocators like this Jaffar Tahlib have been able to enter unhindered?  Your God Is No Longer Mine : Moslem-Christian Fratricide in the Central Moluccas (Indonesia)- by Dieter Bartels (11/09/2000) #451 The conflict can be divided into two rather distinct phases: Phase I began in January of 1999 and ended end of April 2000. This phase was characterized by mutual attacks of native Christians and Moslems using largely primitive home-made weapons and bombs (rakitan). Generally, there was an equilibrium of strength. Phase II, having began in May 2000, is characterized by the massive arrival of non-Ambonese, mostly Javanese, Moslem vigilante group, called Laskar Jihad ("Holy War Forces"). They brought with them sophisticated modern weaponry and allied themselves with the Moslem personnel of the military which constitutes about eighty percent of the troops. These developments totally destroyed the previous balance, tipping the scale in favor of the Moslems.  Maluku Riot: Latest Situation and the Points of Ideas on Conflict-Ending in Maluku (08/09/2000) #450 They expressed the feelings of Christians in Maluku, that their citizenship had been rejected because they were not treated as citizens of the Republic of Indonesia, when the government failed to provide protection to Christians from attacks of the jihad warriors with the assistance of certain factions within the army. This is the reason why they have to look for help from the international communities. Bin Laden 'Linked to Indonesian Militants' - SMH (07/09/2000) #448 Western intelligence sources say bin Laden's terrorist network has regular contact with at least one leader of the Laskar Jihad, a group of Muslim radicals who trained openly in a camp outside Jakarta early this year then went to the Maluku islands to launch a "holy war" against Christians. Annual Report on International Religious Freedom on Indonesia from US Department of State (07/09/2000) #447 Another Muslim group that appeared in early 2000, the Laskar Jihad ("holy war troops") engaged in paramilitary training and moved about freely, armed with swords, daggers, and spears. Some members of the movement reportedly believed that they could "enter heaven by killing infidels." Leaders of the group announced that they were planning to wage war on Christians in the Moluccas. The Government clearly was reluctant to challenge them openly. The Government did close a conspicuous Laskar Jihad training camp south of Jakarta, but as of June 2000, the group had not been disbanded. Many of its recruits were deployed to Maluku and North Maluku provinces starting in late April 2000; some continued training elsewhere.   Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina Report no 49 (06/09/2000) #445 The Christian/Muslim delegation which had a meeting with President Gus Dur at his request (see Report 48 no.1) on September 2, declared on a press conference in Jakarta that UN presence in the Moluccas is the only possible way to put an end to the conflict, the violence and destruction and to pave the way for reconciliation. This presence is visualized in four ways: (1) Humanitarian Aid, (2) International Observer, (3) Peace Keeping Mission and (4) Independent Investigation Team. The Indonesian government will prove its credibility in the eyes of the world, if it allows all of these four activities to take place in the Moluccas.  Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina Report no 47 & 48 (05/09/2000) #444 'Siwalima' newspaper reports that in the destroyed Poka-Rumahtiga area, which is now dominated by muslims, many graves in the general graveyard are being robbed from any valuable objects. The same is happening at the general graveyard of Kebun Cengkeh, at the outskirts of Ambon (close to Batumerah / Galunggung).   Letter from Members of Congress of the United States to President of Republic of Indonesia (01/09/2000) #441 We are writing to request your intervention in the Malukus to bring an end to widespread violence and killings throughout a number of communities in that area. We are deeply disturbed by the daily reports about increased massacres, the kipnapping of women and children, the continue shipment of arms, and the declarations of "Jihad" against the inhabitants of these islands. We appreciate the goverment's efforts and their positive effects in the Northern Malukus, but are concerned about the worsening of the situation in Ambon. Archieves of News and Articles from August 2000 in English   Archieves of News and Articles from July 2000 in English   Copyright © 1999-2000  - Ambon Berdarah On-Line * http://www.go.to/ambon HTML pages designed and maintained by Alifuru67 * http://www.oocities.org/alifuru67 Send your comments to alifuru67@egroups.com