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, November 16, 2001
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS - Report no. 210
1. BE ON YOUR GUARD FOR THAT "THIRD PARTY" - Christian Grassroots leader
Emang Nikijuluw warns the citizens of Ambon, both muslim and christian, not to let
themselves be provocated by recent acts of terror and violence, that - according to
Nikijuluw - originate from a certain third party that wants the conflict to go on. He also
wishes the muslims God's Blessing on the Ramadan which will start within short
(November 17).
2. CHURCHES UNITED IN PROTEST - The christian Churches of Amboina on
November 15 published a collective statement expressing their concern about the
present flaring up of renewed unrest and actions of terror. Their leaders had also a
meeting with the Provincial House of Representatives protesting the lack of
appropriate action by its members. Yesterday the Provincial House of Representatives
issued a seven-point statement, urging the Responsible for the Civil Emergency State
and the chief commanders of the Police and the Military Forces to take adept
measures to restore and further foster the previous rather conducive situation.
3. RELENTLESS SHOOTING AND BOMBING IN AHURU - The site of the diocesan
"Gonzalo Veloso" training centre at Karang Panjang on the outskirts of the city of
Ambon, up to the devastated formerly predominantly christian neighbourhood of
Ahuru, has been the target of nocturnal shooting between jihad forces and the military
and police forces for almost a week now. It was especially vehement last night. No
wonder the jihad forces desperately want to occupy the Gonzalo Veloso complex with
its neighbouring diocesan Deaf-and-Dumb Children complex and the adjacent
magnificent Kopertis Complex (Coordinative Administration headquarters for
non-governmental academic institutions) to make it their headquarters instead of their
partly ruined quarters at Ahuru/Kebun Cengkeh. Besides, it will make a marvellous
vantage point for attacking several christian neighbourhoods down in the town itself.
4. TRAPPED BY LANDMINES - Though already having secured a number of
landmines in the neighbourhood of Ahuru, not far from the Petra church and the
Gonzalo Veloso compound - probably placed there by jihad forces - apparently on
Novermber 14 a left-over landmine exploded, seriously injuring three military
servicemen from the 408/Diponegoro Infantery Battalion. One of them had to have his
left leg amputated.
5. VICTIMS' CORPSES` FOUND - On November 14 the body of a male resident of
Wailela (near Rumahtiga, on the opposite side of the bay of Ambon) was found in his
own field of crops. He was killed by a bullet. On November 15 a corpse was found
near the bridge of the christian neighbourhood of Mardika. The victim was identified to
be La Hadi (43). He must have been dead for about four hours. He had apparently
been severly hit on the head and stabbed at several parts of his body.
6. TOTAL NUMBER OF CASUALTIES - Psychologist Drs. Ichsan Malik from the
Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, while presenting his discourse "peace journalism" on
occasion of a meeting for journalist practice in Ambon, claims to have the correct
numbers of people killed by violent acts during the conflict in the Moluccas and North
Moluccas since January 1999, i.e.: South-East Moluccas (Tual): 434 casualties; rest
of the Moluccas: 9.753 casualties; North Moluccas: 3.241 casualties. Thus the total
number of those killed in the conflict is 13.428.
C.J.Böhm MSc,
Secretary of Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
Received via e-mail from : Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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