CATHOLIC CHURCH DIOCESE OF AMBOINA AND CHRISTIAN
CHURCHES IN MOLUCCAS
Secretary Office.. Imam Bonjol No. 8, Ambon-97127, Phone. 354079
Ambon, April.29.2002
Re. Save Our Selves
To His Excellency
Mr. Koffi Annand
The General Secretary of the United Nation
Dear Sir,
This is an SOS call from us, the Churches in the Moluccas Islands. There have been
series of fresh attack again directed towards the Christians in the Moluccas. The
previosly condition was a little better after a peace agrreement was signed by
representatives ftom Christian and Moslem communities and by the Central and local
Government. But now under the pretext of fighting the RMS separatists, which
actually a very small group of people, who do not even have weapons, the innocent
Christians are under constant attack again. The condition is becoming worse because
the local government is seriously unwilling and unable to settle their authority to
handle the provocation of both the FKM Group (who uses the RMS symbols and
raised the RMS flag since the 25'l' of April until now ) and the Jihad warriors (Moslem
warriors ). From the outsted, the Churches in the Mollucas are not commited on both
these political and ideological ideas of both of them. Yet, The Mollucan Agreement in
Malino is not implemented in a consistent and responsible way by the Government.
On the 3d April a high explosive bomb exploded on the Christian side of town, killing 7
people and wounded 56 people. After that 2 people were found dead also without
knowing who killed them. Subsequently, on the 25 and 28 of April the unfinished
reconstructed building the Silo Chruch was burned with no reaction from the security
forces, which where on guard around the place, the Silo church building was burned
down in 1999 and erected again. A mortar was also fired to the Christian subard of
Karang Panjang the city of Ambon, and heavily wounded 2 women. At the down of
Sunday morning a Christian traditionally village, called Soya, on top of the hill on the
southren park of Ambon island, was attacked killing at least 12 people, including a 3
year's old child, a 7 month's baby,_ and several women, it has also left 9 people
waunded. A some of 26 houses and a historical old church building were also burned
down. This village has so far been used by the government for the IDP's from Ambon
and some of these victims are among the dead ones.
We have to call on you, for there have been various attempts done internally and
nationally but to no avail. The armed forces and the police could not do much. Last
Friday, they were belittled by the Ahad commander in Chief, Mr Jafar Umar Talib, in
ftont of thousands of Moslems in a rally, which took place at the Alfatah Mosque, with
no reaction from their side. So far, the terrorism that have caused many lives among
the innocent and ordinary people has not been handled properly by the armed forces
and police. So far, we cannot expect any security from them.
Therefore, we do urge the United Nations on behalf of the civilized families of nations
to do something, by means of assisting our government to stop any futher masasacre
in order to strengthen the Universal Principals of Human Rights as acknowleged by
the Second Amendment of the Indonesian Constitution, and in turn to combat against
terrorism in our beloved country. The United Nations is our only hope now. Please
save us from this trial.
CC:
1. President of Republic of Indonesia in Jakarta.
2. President of U.S.A. in Washington D.C.
3. British Prime Minister in London.
4. The Goverments of European Union Community.
5. His Hollines the Pope in Rome.
6. World Council of Churches in Geneva.
7. The Communion of Churches in Indonesia.
8. The Communion of Pentacostal Churches in Indonesia.
9. Conference of Bishops in Indonesia.
10. Baptist World Alliance in U.S.A.
11. The Intemational Head Quarter of The Salvation Army in London.
12. World Alliance Reformed Churches in Geneva.
13. The Salvation Army Church in the U.S.A.
Recieved from PT via MASARIKU NETWORK |
