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 29, 2002
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS – Report No. 271
1. SOLDIER KILLED – On April 26 a passenger car with three military servicemen
was halted by a Muslim crowd at Kapaha/Tantui at the eastern end of the city of
Ambon. One of the soldiers was killed by a bullet.
2. INTERNAL CONFLICT SECURITY FORCES – On the same April 26, Brimob
policeman Robinson Eirumkuy was trapped by ten soldiers and mishandled. The
usual rivalry between army and police has escalated due to this event.
3. FURTHER NEWS ON SOYA – Local Radio and TV provided further details on the
attack on the Protestant-Christian village of Soya we mentioned yesterday. When
early in the morning of April 28 it was Soya’s turn to have its electricity turned off,
i.e. at 3.45 a.m., a fulle-scale attack was launched on the mountain village with
mortars, bombs, gunfire and other weaponry. The attackers (whether “ordinar”
Muslims or Laksar Jihad) entered the rather small village and went from house to
house, while proclaiming Allah’s Greatness, murdering anybody they could lay
hands on, not sparing women and children, including a nine months old baby that was
killed by bullets. The total number of residents killed is twelve. Nine others were
injured. The old, beautiful protestant church was burned down together with some
dozens of residents’ houses. The community building was badly damaged. The
attackers withdrew at about 5.00 a.m. Though the village is close to Ambon,
nevertheless security forces needed 2½ hours after the attackers had left, to arrive at
the site. TV showed the residents of Soya conducting worship on the open space
beside their ages-old destroyed church, despite it was raining.
The whole day long the atmosphere in the city of Ambon was tense. At about 9.00
a.m. three mortars were launched at the Christian Wainitu / Talake area, of which only
one exploded, however, without causing significant damage.
At 1.30 p.m. a bomb was thrown at the Silo church in the centre of the city, again
causing wooden appliances to catch fire.
4. MASOHI CALM – Initial disturbance in Masohi, South Seram, after the burning of
two houses the day before yesterday, could be curbed. On several locations
roadblocks have been placed anticipating unwanted confrontations.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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