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, 29 April , 2002
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS – Report No. 272 (2nd Report today)
1. ATTACK ON SOYA: FURTHER DETAILS AND ADJUSTMENTS – The TV Report
that security forces needed 2½ hours after the attackers had left, to arrive at the site,
was corrected by “Siwalima” newspaper: the attack on Soya in the early morning of
April 28, was launched at 3.45 a.m. Police forces arrived at the site at 5.00 a.m.,
followed by military forces at 6.00 a.m.
One of the totally burned-down houses was the Raja’s house (local “king”) with its
unique traditional artifacts.
“Siwalima” puts the number of injured Soya residents at 21.
One of the villagers, Demi Hitijahubessy, when interviewed by “Siwalima”, declared
that the attackers undoubtedly were Laskar Jihad since he heard them shouting and
talking in Javanese dialect and accent. He himself broke his leg in the general
confusion, so that he could not prevent his wife, his child and a grandchild being
slaughtered. Somebody else vented his angriness towards those who had induced the
people of Soya to surrender their weaponry in accordance to the Moluccas Agreement
of Malino.
2. DISTURBANCE AROUND THE AMANS HOTEL – The large Amans Hotel (Amans
is short for “Ambon Manisé” = Sweet Ambon) lies in the Christian area of Mardika,
immediately bordering at the Muslim area of Batumerah. Since quite some time it has
been a busy location for mostly Muslim vendors and Christian buyers. “Siwalima”
newspaper reports that on April 27 there arose a conflict between local Muslims and
Laskar Jihads, the latter ordering to stop that intermingling with RMS people. At 9.00
a.m. on Sunday April 28, while the nearby protestant “Bethel” community was
having worship, a bomb exploded near the Amans hotel, setting fire to a resident’s
house. Security forces succeeded to get the ensuing confusion under control.
3. FKM SUPPORTERS – Ichsan Malik, coordinator of the interreligious “Baku Bae”
platform, estimates that the local FKM (Front Kedaulatan Maluku) supporters number
just about 250-300 people, probably even dwindling now to a mere 100. He also said
that not all of the Muslims are of the opinion that all Christians support the RMS /
FKM.
4. THAMRIN ELLY: JAFAR WAS JOKING – Up to now no comments have been
expressed by local authorities on Jafar Umar Thalib’s presence in Ambon and his
provoking tabliq akbar last Friday. The leader of the Muslim Malino delegation,
Thamrin Elly – according to “Siwalima” newspaper – said (prior to the attack on
Soya): “Jafar was just joking (bercanda). Do not let yourself be provoked. He orders
his followers to wage war. But war is only possible if both sides agree to make war on
each other. In this case this condition is not fulfilled, since there is only one party that
wants war”. After the devastation of Soya, christians might ask Thamrin what
actually he meant by “joking”.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina
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