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, August 21, 2005
THE SITUATION IN AMBON/MOLUCCAS - Report No. 483
It has been almost two months since we last met. Most of the time we have been out
of office and out of reach of internet. We will try and catch up by perusing the
www.malra.org/posko website, restricting ourselves to some more significant
happenings...
1. RITUAL KILLINGS - Quite gruesome is the following information by the 7 August
edition of the Sydney Morning Herald. On the large island of Ceram, north of Ambon
Island, a 30-year-old man and his eight-year-old nephew recently were ambushed and
killed by six men, members of the Naulu tribe which lives in the thick inland jungle of
the island. After the killing, the hearts of both victims were cut out and their heads,
tongues and fingers chopped off for use in a ritual, linked to the swearing in of a new
tribal chief. Thus was explained by a policeman on duty at the Central Moluccas
district police at Masohi. The six perpetrators have been arrested. The policeman
added that in the past years there were at least three other reports of mutilated bodies
found on Ceram; the persons behind it had never been found.
2. RABIES - The first outbreak of rabies in Ambon took place in August 2003 (see
Report 383). Liputan6.com reports that the feared disease up to now has not yet been
defeated. It is said that since January 2005 six people have died of the disease.
Several dozens are currently under treatment in hospital.
3. RMS PROTESTS ACKNOWLEDGING INDONESIAN INDEPENDENCE DATE -
After 60 years, at last, the Dutch Government has acknowledged the date of
Indonesian Independence, i.e. the declaration of independence read by Soekarno, to
be August 17, 1945. The Netherlands always maintained December 27, 1949 as the
"birthday" of the Republic of Indonesia, for it was only then that the autonomy was
acknowledged by the Netherlands. This might seem rather irrelevant, were it not that
this acknowledgement roused fierce protests from RMS sympathisants. Because
Soekarno, the first president of Indonesia, on the former date made a nefarious deal
with the Japanese before these withdrew from Indonesia. On the contrary a fair deal
was made with the erstwhile colonial ruler - the Netherlands - on that latter date,
establishing the "United States of Indonesia". However, in 1950 Soekarno, ignoring
this pledge, changed the country into one State. In the Moluccas then was
immediately erected the RMS (Republik Maluku Selatan - South Moluccas Republic).
4. GENERAL SITUATION - We are often asked by would-be visitors: Is Ambon safe?
Can you safely travel in the Moluccas? Of course one should think twice before
entering the jungle of Ceram. During this month of August, too, Ambon had three
times a minor earthquake (5.4 on the Richter scale). But there is no interreligious
unrest any more, and christians and muslims are more and more intermingling,
though having their living quarters still separated one from another. So be welcome!
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina |
