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 16, 2005
THE SITUATION IN AMBON/MOLUCCAS - Report No. 480
1. REFUGEES RETURN - Having stayed as refugees for longer than four years in the
Kei Islands now at last all of the about 1500 christian Kasui refugees have returned to
their island, to the South East of Ceram island - to be immediately followed by some
500 others that had been sheltering in the city of Ambon. On the Kasui case we had a
large number of reports, notably Reports 96 through 134. Reportedly the
home-comers were received well amidst their muslim brothers.
Recently 436 families (1.859 people) started to return to the village of Kariu, island of
Haruku (lying east of Ambon island). 108 families protested because they did not
receive the promised funds for rebuilding their houses. Several hundreds of other
families were utterly disappointed when perceiving the quality of the houses that had
been built for them by the government: houses without windows, without a kitchen and
without a bathroom/toilet. Governor Karel Albert Ralahalu, who accompanied the
returning refugees, promised to check on the correct number of refugees; he also
promised to take action against the contractors that had built the houses.
Though many refugees have already returned, seemingly their number is hardly
dwindling. In this country which is notorious for its wide-spread corruption, some
refugees, too, are no exception and register themselves time and again in different
places at different times. It is also believed that among employees in charge, there
are a number that are eagerly cooperating to this end.
2. CLEANING-UP OF TERRORISTS - Provincial Police Chief Brig.General
Adityawarman confirmed in Ambon on June 14, that a group of internationally feared
terrorists, affiliated with radical muslim groups, has had its quarters in the Moluccas
for some four years already, not only intending to have a hiding-place but also for
training purposes. He said the assault on the Brimob Policemen in Loki last May 16,
killing five police personnel plus two civilians (see Report 478) took place because
those terrorists may have been annoyed by the presence of so many police
servicemen in their immediate vicinity. As training locations he pointed out the West
Ceram villages of Ketapang, Luhu and the mountain side of Olas. He further said that
only a few of these people were from the Moluccas: most of them were terrorists on
national and international level. Some names: Herumanto alias Yanto and Police
Brigader Mohamad Syarif Tarabubun (both of whom involved in the murder of Abu
Jihad in May 2003, see Report 368). Also Oji Sangadji, murderer of university lecturer
Marlen Sitanala in 2000. Another, by the name of Sueb, was caught on the nearby
island of Buru; he had shortly before arrived from Johor, Malaysia and had enjoyed
military training in Moro, South Philippines.
According to Adityawarman a number of radicals from outside the Moluccas had been
sent away long ago, but these still seem to come and go at leisure. Abu Bakar
Ba'asyir, too, seems to be involved in these nefarious terrorist activities in the
Moluccas, and also the network of Dr Azahari. Meanwhile in the town of Namlea,
island of Buru, Muchtar was arrested; he was one of the prinipal actors of exploding
the bomb at Cimanggis, Depok, West Java. Of the nine attackers of the Brimob police
post at Loki, several have already been arrested; the first was Dahlan alias Asep
(Report no. 478). Others followed: Libit, Anggato dan Rinto. Others are still on the run.
3. MALNUTRITION IN THE NORTH MOLUCCAS - In the national newsmedia there is
much talk lately on severe maltrition, not only in the tsunami areas of Aceh and Nias,
but also in various other parts of Indonesia. The disease - locally called "busung lapar"
("swollen due to hunger") has already a considerable death-toll among young children.
Now the Health Department in the North Moluccas reports to have detected between
January through March 2005, 706 cases of malnourishment, all of them children under
five years old. In many cases this situation is said not primarily to be caused by
poverty but by ignorance: many residents lack knowledge about proper nutrition,
sanitation and major health problems like malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. They
do not consume enough food every day, let alone nutrients.
4. BRIEF CHRONICLE - All Crisis Centre reports on the Molucas conflict, including a
summary of events that took place before the reports were first launched, are available
in print in a modest volume titled "Brief Chronicle of the Unrest in the Moluccas 1999 -
2005". This edition is at the same time complementary to an edition that was
composed two years ago. It can be ordered at our address. Price: Rp 50.000,- or Eur
5,- or USD 6.- , expedition/postage to be added.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina |
