ASSOCIATED PRESS, April 5, 2002
Indonesia Maluku Separatists Vow To Raise Banned Flags
AMBON, Indonesia, April 5 (AP)--A Christian separatist group in Indonesia's religious
violence-torn Maluku islands vowed Friday to raise hundreds of banned flags later this
month to mark a failed independence bid 52 years ago.
"We will raise flags throughout the province on April 21," said Alex Manuputty, leader
of the Maluku Sovereignty Front. "No one is brave enough to stop us."
The small separatist group has been banned by Indonesian authorities for its
aggressive campaign to make the southern part of the Maluku archipelago an
independent nation.
The front wants Indonesia to allow a referendum on self-determination in the province.
It insists the islands, 2,600 kilometers east of Jakarta, never belonged to Indonesia.
The front claims widespread support among Christians in the Malukus. Analysts say,
however, that the group is far weaker than other separatist groups in Indonesian, such
as those fighting for independence in Aceh and Papua provinces.
Meanwhile, police announced the arrest of three local residents suspected of
involvement in a bombing Wednesday that killed seven people and injured 50 in a
Christian section of the embattled provincial capital of Ambon. They are searching for
two alleged ringleaders, police said.
President Megawati Sukarnoputri, speaking during a state visit to India, ordered
security forces to capture the bombers and crack down on "those who provoke
instability in Indonesia."
"Without guaranteeing security, we will not be able to do anything such as attracting
investors," she said.
Copyright © 2002 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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