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 13, 2002
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS – Report No. 260
1. AMBON CLOSED TO FOREIGNERS – In connection with the possibly precarious
situation around next April 25th (annual commemoration of the RMS Separatist
Movement) the Governor does not allow any foreigner to enter Ambon during the
period between 11 and 30 April 2002. There is a visibly growing tenseness among the
Christians in Ambon because of possible unwanted confrontations around April 25th.
2. FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE CONFLICT ON SAPARUA – Yesterday’s
Suara Maluku daily paper provides the following further information on the recent fight
between the Christian villages of Porto and Haria on the island of Saparua. Three
people (not four as we reported earlier) have been killed: one from Porto and two from
Haria. Twelve people have been injured. Apart from the community building (Baileo) of
Haria and the elementary school building of Porto, a total of 44 residents’ houses
have been burned down. Fearing for renewed attacks by Haria, those from Porto have
fled into the woods or to neighbouring villages. The conflict is a result of old mutual
resentment in connection with the exact borders of the grounds belonging to each of
these villages that lie close to one another. Another reason was the conflict that arose
last March 30 on occasion of a boat-race; Haria then had protested against the
Jury’s decision that Porto had won the race. On that occasion several people had
been wounded.
3. VICTIM OF VIOLENCE – On April 11, in a well at the back of Hotel Wijaya II – at
the border of the Mardika and Batumerah neighbourhoods – the body of Paulus
Wattimena (72) was found. A severe wound at his neck must have caused his death;
after the murder his body must have been thrown into the well.
4. THE GUBERNATORIAL BUILDING – Governor M.S.Latuconsina declared that the
burned-out Governor’s Office Building, which was built in 1956, most probably cannot
be rehabilitated. The ruins will have to be pulled down, and a totally new building has
to be constructed. A rough estimation of the costs: some 30 to 40 billion rupiahs. The
main Provincial services, which since the burning were housed in the Public Works
(PU) building at Mardika, will move over to the recently restored PLN (electricity
Company) building on Diponegoro Street, opposite the Silo Church, not far from the
Pohon Pule Bridge.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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