CRISIS CENTRE DIOCESE OF AMBOINA
Jalan Pattimura 32 -- Ambon 97124 -- Indonesia
Tel 0062 (0)911 342195 Fax 0062 (0)911 355337
E-mail: crisiscentre01@hotmail.com
Ambon, January 30, 2003
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS - Report No. 351
1. EIGHT KILLED BY ACCIDENTAL BOMB EXPLOSION – A bomb, left-over from
the Second World War, was dug up yesterday evening in the hamlet of Mamua, near
the village of Hila on the North coast of the island of Ambon. The bomb that measured
about 100 x 30 cm, exploded when being dismounted, killing eight men. They
seemingly had in mind to use its contents to catch fish by using explosives.
2. YAFAR UMAR THALIB ACQUITTED – On April 26, 2002, Jafar Umar Thalib,
leader of the meanwhile disbanded Laskar Jihad, gave a tabliq akbar (official speech)
in the large front yard of the Al-Fatah Mosque of Ambon. He did not spare anybody,
defiling everybody from the President down to the military. The Moluccas Agreement
of Malino was treason, the Governor a traitor etc. He urged a no-reconciliation
program and to wage war on the RMS Christians, to zealously fabricate bombs etc.
(see Reports 269 and 276). He was arrested at Juanda Airport, Surabaya on May
2002 and sent to Jakarta, where he subsequently was detained at Police HQ. At his
trial, one year inprisonment was demanded by the public prosecutor during the
session of the district court of East Jakarta on December 19, 2002. He was accused
of insulting the President of Indonesia and agitate the people during that tablig akbar.
Now here is the decision of the court, read today by presiding judge Mansyur
Nasution: Yafar Umar Thalib is acquitted of all accusations, because it can not be
proved that he has insulted President Megawati Soekarnoputri, that he instigated
masses to acts of violence and tried to arouse feelings of hostility during his speech
at the Al-Fatah Mosque of Ambon on April 26, 2002. The prosecution (Slamet Rijanto)
has not (yet) appealed against this decision.
Local news broadcasts on radio and TV did not mention the acquittal of Jafar today.
However, considering the favorable situation in Ambon, we do not expect any fierce
reaction by local Christians, everybody being fed-up with all that violence.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina |
