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 9, 2002
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS – Report No. 258
1. ENCOURAGING VISIT BY CABINET MINISTERS – Coordinating Minister for
Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono together with Coordinating
Minister for Social Welfare Yusuf Kalla, the Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno,
National Supreme Police Commander (Kapolri) Da'i Bachtiar, Indonesian Military (TNI)
Chief Adm. Widodo A.S. and other high officials, totalling 38 persons, arrived at
Ambon on Sunday, April 7, 2002. Their visit was meant – thus was said by Minister
Yudhoyono – to obtain firsthand information on last week's terrorist activities, to
assist and back up the authorities in Ambon in coping with these sad events and to
stress the implementation of the Moluccas Agreement of Malino. In the afternoon they
witnessed the burning of more than 9.000 home-made weapons at the Lapangan
Merdeka ("Independence Square") in the centre of the city, adjacent to the destroyed
Gubernatorial Office. The assembled bombs were to be destroyed in the sea, whereas
standard rifles and pistols were entrusted to the military and police to be used as
regular weaponry.
2. MEETING WITH OFFICIALS AND MALINO DELEGATES – During the evening
the visitors from Jakarta had a meeting with the Governor of the Moluccas and other
high officials and also with both 35 member Malino delegations, at the Governor's
mansion in the neighbourhood of Manggadua. Msgr. P.C.Mandagi MSC, bishop of
Amboina and member of the Christian Malino delegation, told us that in fact the
Malino delegates have intermingled in such measure, that in fact it is now more
appropriate to speak of one 70 member Moluccas delegation than of two 35 member
delegations. They were also unisonant in their complaints to the Indonesian
Government. Because too many post-Malino incidents have occurred that have not
had sufficient concern by the Government. Some samples: (1) The attack on the car
that brought MUI chairman Haji Kyai Polpoke home when he returned from Malino and
the precarious situation of some Muslim delegates up to now (Report 237). (2) The
shooting at a Government bus in Galunggung on Febuary 25 (Report 242). (3) The
unhampered opportunity that is given to the SPMM Radio Station to continue its
provocative and slandering broadcasts. (4) The sudden postponing of the ultimate date
of voluntarily surrendering of weaponry by civilians without consultation with those that
should have been asked for their opinion (Report 253). (5) The lethargy of the on
March 20, 2002, established local Investigation Team on violation of human rights
(Report 251). (6) The terrorizing by the military of so-called RMS suspects without any
proper inquiry.
"If the government seems to ignore all this injustice and neglect, we had better cancel
the whole Molucas Agreement of Malino", so was said by the delegates (applaus).
The Government's focus should first of all be directed to real reconciliation, and only
then talk about all kinds of rehabilitation – so was said.
Special alertness should be given to any threat endangering security towards the 25th
of April, and the hoisting of the RMS flag on that date (as is whispered the FKM is
planning to do on occasion of the anniversary of the RMS). By the way, in this context
the Governor of the Moluccas as the Civil Emergency Administrator, has already
issued a letter forbidding any activity that is contrary to the unity of the Republic of
Indonesia, among other things the hoisting of any flag that is similar to the FKM or
RMS flag.
3. DUTCH MEDICAL TEAM LEAVES AMBON – The Dutch medical that recently
started its activities (see Report 255 – 5 April 2002) providing medical aid in the fields
of eye-catarac and bone diseases, especially for the poor, has left Ambon, since a
local newspaper accused them of spying activities. Of the 300 cases of catarac that
had been presented to them, only 18 were operated upon; of the 30 cases connected
with bones diseases, only 3 were attended to.
4. SEARCH FOR THE TERRORISTS – The names of two suspects in the case of the
recent bomb blast in the Yan Paays Street, have been disclosed to the public: Chief
Police Commander Sunarko showed their photographs on local TV and mentioned
their names i.e. Idi Amin Thabrani Pattimura alias Ongen Pattimura, and Syafruddin
alias Zaza.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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