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, April 29, 2003
THE SITUATION IN AMBON/MOLUCCAS - Report No. 366
1. VISIT BY MINISTER OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS -- On April 28-29 Cabinet Minister of
Social Affairs Yusuf Kalla paid a visit to Ambon. Among other activities he met the
Malino-II delegates to evaluate the results of the by himself initiated reconciliatory
meeting in Malino, South Celebes, in February 2002, then resulting in the eleven-point
"Moluccas Agreement" on February 12, 2002. He said the conflict was over now
indeed. The big problems are now the return of the refugees and the economic
recovery of the Moluccas. He said he did not see any obstruction any more to the
return of all refugees to their original towns and villages. He insisted that economic
recovery of the Moluccas should be carried out mainly by the Moluccans themselves.
In this context, on April 29, he officially inaugurated the reopening of the Tonasa
Cement Packing Plant at Gudang Arang Ambon, which -- due to the conflict -- was
closed down in March 2000, but started functioning again last February.
Asked about his opinion on the separatist RMS movement, he said that the RMS had
already been outlawed by late president Soekarno in 1950, and that he was convinced
that the large majority of both Muslims and Christians in the Moluccas is opposed to
the RMS and to Alex Manuputty’s FKM.
2. A.A. GYM VISITS AMBON -- On April 28 Kyai Hajj A.A. Gymnastiar was in
Ambon. AA-Gym -- as he is commonly called -- is famous for his monthly sermons in
the Istiqal Mosque in Jakarta, that are broadcast on TV nationwide and eagerly
listened to by people from all faiths. In Ambon he delivered a speech in the packed
aula of the Masariku-733 military barracks, stressing the need for unity in diversity.
3. MORE THAN 250 DETAINED SUSPECTED OF RMS ACTIVITIES -- Security
forces arrested more than 250 people -- among whom about 150 from the village of
Aboru (island of Haruku) alone -- in connection with flag raising activities on and
around April 25, the 53rd commemoration of the RMS South Moluccas Independence
movement. There is hardly room for so many detainees. It is now being investigated
who among them are authentic separatists -- and thus face charges of subversion --
and who are those that just wanted to vent their disappointment with the government.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina |
