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 26, 2002
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS – Report No. 268
1. APRIL 25th – The 52nd commemoration of the RMS Separatist Movement,
yesterday, brought along unwelcome commotion as we reported earlier. The damage
to the Silo church, that was set to fire by a Muslim crowd at 1.15 p.m., was restricted
to wooden items such as scaffolding.
The whole day long there was hardly any activity in the city. Judging by TV-spots,
neither in the Muslim areas there was much activity. The usually bustling
Muslim-Christian market near the Amans Hotel was totally deserted.
2. RMS FLAG RAISED – The bursts of gunfire we reported yesterday, turned out to
have been directed at a gas balloon floating in the sky and trailing an RMS flag. On
TV could be seen that the flag at last was brought down and drowned in the Bay of
Ambon. Two other similar balloons “escaped”. At five places in the city of Ambon
the fateful flag was raised. Security forces arrested several persons suspected of
hoisting the flag. RMS flag raising outside Ambon was reported to have taken place
on two locations in the western part of the island of Seram, namely in Amahai and
Waisarissa, also on the islands of S! aparua and Haruku.
3. VICTIMS – A total of three bombs exploded. One of them fell in the Christian
Karang Panjang area and was thought to have been launched from Batumerah. It
caused serious injuries to two people. Another one caused minor injuries to two
Muslims. There have been no reports of any other casualties.
4. JIHAD LEADER VISITS AMBON – Laskar leader Jafar Umar Thalib arrived in
Ambon last Wednesday April 24. In the evening, by Muslim SPMM radio, he urged
the Muslims to make war on the Christians.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
|
