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 5, 2002
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS – Report No. 255
1. JUSUF KALLA ON THE RECENT EVENTS IN AMBON – Coordinating Minister for
Social Affairs Jusuf Kalla, who, together with the Minister for Political and Security
Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, initiated and organized the reconciliatory meeting
at Malino on 11-12 February 2002, was seen on SCTV, a national commercial TV
Station, being interviewed on the recent dismal events in Ambon: the fatal bomb
explosion and the burning of the large Governor’s Office Building. He thought that the
bombing might not have been based on a certain principle; where there are thousands
of weapons and bombs among the people, it can easily happen that somebody who
feels unhappy with the current tranquil situation as a result of the Moluccas
Agreement of Malino, decides to use one of the bombs he has in store to create
havoc. Yusuf Kalla did not despair, however, about the ultimate effectiveness of the
Moluccas Agreement, notwithstanding the ! fact that there is a minority that
seemingly rejects it.
2. FURTHER DETAILS ON THE RECENT BOMB EXPLOSION – Some people took
advantage of the initial general confusion after the bomb explosion by looting some
heavily damaged shops and minishop in the area, among others a Seiko-watches
minishop of which the elderly Chinese owner is now in hospital having both legs
amputated. Several others, too, had to have their legs amputated. The medical teams
in the three hospitals where the victims are being attended to, have the assistance of
a Dutch medical team from Vlissingen, which is Ambon’s sister city in the
Netherlands. This team had arrived several days earlier in order to provide medical aid
in the fields of eye-catarac and bone diseases, especially for the poor. It is regrettable
that the Immigration Department reduced their initial permission to stay for 24 days,
to 14 days.
3. INVESTIGATION ON THE RECENT BOMB EXPLOSION – The red Toyota
passenger car from which the bomb was thrown has been identified by the police.
Inside several devices were found that have to do with exploding of bombs. The owner
of the car and the driver are under interrogation.
It is still not clear, though, who was behind the bomb explosion. National newspaper
"Suara Karya" and several other national mass media quote the statement of the
chairman of the TPM Pusat (Central Muslim Advocacy Team), M.Mahendradatta, in
Jakarta, that "this event is a revolutionary action of the RMS (South Moluccas
Independency Movement)". He did, however, not clarify how this has been found out.
4. FURTHER DETAILS ON THE RECENT BURNING OF THE GOVERNOR’S
OFFICE – Watching local TV and seeing the disastrous effect of the unruly burning of
the Governor’s Office Building was really shocking: The second and third floors are
totally burned out, and the magnificent building is to be regarded as total loss. Also
the UN section was destroyed. The Governor said on TV that he is determined to
rebuild it on the same place. Rebuilding it may cost a hefty 15 billion Rupiahs (US$
1.500.000,- / Eur 1.750.000,-) However, more desastrous is the loss of countless
archives, which is a calamity for the whole Moluccas.
Looking for an alternative location for the provincial administrative activities, the choice
fell on the Public Works (PU) building in the (Christian) neighbourhood of Mardika, at
a distance of about 300 m from the border of (Muslim) Batumerah.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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