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, January 11, 2003
THE SITUATION IN AMBON / MOLUCCAS - Report No. 344
1. SAVED BY ERSTWHILE ADVERSARY – On January 8, a speedboat, having set
off from Passo and bound for the island of Ceram, got in trouble when passing the
Muslim village of Tial, only a few kilometers East of Passo because a rib of the vessel
broke and water gushed in. Immediately residents from Tial came out to save the
endangered 14 Christians that were on board.
2. FOUR WOMEN DROWNED – On January 10, 2002, speedboat "Imanuel" left the
town of Saparua for the village of Ouw on the island of Saparua (Saparua lies east of
the island of Ambon). Besides two crew members and two Brimob security forces
there were 16 passengers on board: an overload for this small vessel that had also to
cope with a rather turbulent sea. When passing the village of Sirisori Islam, the boat
turned over, causing four women to drown. This disaster has indirect connection with
the Moluccas conflict, insofar, because of the still uncertain situation on Saparua, the
road between the town of Saparua and Ouw is blockaded, so that people that want to
go to Saparua, have no choice than going there by boat.
3. PROTESTING HIGHER FUEL PRICES – All over Indonesia there are vehement
protests going on against the recent increase of prices on fuel, electricity and
telephone, which mostly affects "the little man". Ambon is no exception. On January
9, protest demonstrations were held by several hundreds of students from the Muslim
STAIN Academy and – separately – by several dozens of students of the Pattimura
University. The day before, the chairman of the Provincial House of Representatives,
Z. Sahuburua, had already asked the central government to grant exemption on this
rise of prices considering of the poor economic condition the Moluccas is in.
4. MEETING OF VILLAGE CHIEFS – Today a three days' meeting of traditional
village chiefs will be concluded. The meeting has been organized by the Pattimura
University together with the Baku Bae reconciliation movement. We intend to report
on the results of this meeting later.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina |
