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, June 5, 2005
THE SITUATION IN AMBON/MOLUCCAS - Report No. 479
1. MOLUCCAS GOVERNMENT WEBSITE CONDEMNED - We summarize from The
Jakarta Post daily the following report on a rather vehement protest demonstration in
front of the Governor's Office in Ambon by Muslims.
An estimated 2,000 protesters from about 20 Islamic organizations held a protest on
June 2, 2005, over a local government website, which they said was defamatory
towards Islam's Prophet Muhammad and included insinuations that Muslims in the
province were terrorists. The creators of the website (www.malukuprov.go.id - now
blocked) were accused of abusing its function to condemn and insult a religion.
The controversial content was on the website's guest book and discussion forum.
One forum contributor stated, "... During the 1999-2002 riots, the provocateurs and
their motives were not proven. But it has been proven that STAIN Ambon is the nest of
a Mujahidin (group), which has trained militants in the Moluccas, the Philippines and
in Afghanistan under the Taliban. They always blame FKM/RMS and it's proven that
Islamists have caused the Moluccas (conflicts)...." Other messages were actually
much harsher in their tone and accusations. Among the forum contributors there were
some that insulted the Prophet Muhammad. "If there are those saying Muhamad
Taufik is a loser or accusing Muhamad Attamimi of being terrorist, we can tolerate
that, but if it's insulting to our Prophet, we won't back down at all. We'd rather die than
see our Prophet insulted," yelled Taufik Narahubun, head of Indonesia Muslim
Students (PII) in Maluku.
Maluku Deputy Governor MA Latuconsina promised the protesters to immediately
take necessary measures to correct the situation, since the governor, who is in
Europe, had already assigned him to prepare a letter to the police to investigate the
website's operators.
2. POLICEMAN FIRED - A policeman named Ismael Fahmi Yemsehu has been
ousted from the police force after it had been confirmed that he was involved in several
terrorist activities. He was among others one of those who attacked Villa Karaoke in
Hative Besar last February 15, resulting in the death of two persons and two others
wounded (see Report no. 466). He was also one of those that attacked the village of
Wamkana, south Buru, during the first week of May 2004, with a death-toll of two (see
Report no. 431).
There was no mentioning of any further penalty to be imposed on this Ismael.
3. TERNATE: MOLOTOV BOMBS DISCOVERED - When Siti Aisyah together with
her husband tilled the soil of her field in south Ternate, North Moluccas, she struck on
a cache of 56 Molotov bombs, probably left-overs from the Moluccas' conflict four
years earlier.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina |
