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 23, 2002
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS – Report No. 265
1. DISCIPLINARY MEASURES – In order to avoid any regularities on and around
April 25th, the annual commemoration of the RMS Separatist Movement, Governor
M.S. Latuconsina as the Civil Emergency Administrator announced that there will be
a curfew starting on April 23 until at least April 27, each night from 10.00 p.m. to 6.00
a.m. the following morning.
Meanwhile military chief commander Mustopo declared that anybody that will hoist
the RMS-flag, and does not pay heed to an initial warning, will be shot.
Two foreign NGO members were given a sharp warning, because they had been found
to carry out questionable activities, such as drunkenness, showing unnecessary films
on unrest in foreign countries, and behaving like newsreporters.
Since all of the Muslims and most of the Christians are opposed to RMS, FKM and
any other separatist movements, all of these measures enhance a general feeling of
security among the population of Ambon.
2. SOME RECTIFICATIONS – Opening the www.fkm-europa.nl website, please be
aware that in its reports on what is happening in Ambon these days, it is little
trustworthy and has a tendency of grave exaggerating.
On April 19 (Report 264) we erroneously wrote that FKM leader Dr.Alex Manuputty
was released from confinement at the Police Headquarters: he was not, and has been
in detention for interrogation up to now. Police Chief Commander Sunarko Danu
Ardianto declared to the press that in fact he is not being detained by the police but
by the Joint Investigation Team. The Governor has also called two influential Muslims
in order to be investigated by the same team, namely Mohamad Atamimi and
Abdullah Latuapo. However, up to now they have not turned up and it is not clear why
they have not been gone after like was done in the case of Dr. A.Manuputty.
In several newsmedia there was a report on two Kopassus (military Army's Special
Forces) servicemen, who during the investigation on Dr.Alex Manuputty had irregularly
intruded into the Police Headquarters, after which they allegedly had been searched
on weaponry, resulting in the finding of two grenades on them. Police chief
commander Sunarko stressed that indeed the two of them had strayed into Police
HQ, but that it had just been a simple mistake and lack of coordination, that not any
grenades had been found on them and that after a short clarification they had been
allowed to leave.
3. BISHOP’S GRAVE LOOTED – A befriended Muslim soldier went up to the jihad
site of the totally destroyed neighbourhood of Ahuru to investigate on the situation at
the catholic graveyard. He found the cement grave of Monseigneur Jacobus Grent
MSC, Bishop of Amboina 1947–1965, opened and destroyed by looters. The bones
were gone.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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