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, November 15, 2004
THE SITUATION IN AMBON/MOLUCCAS - Report No. 451
1. MISMANAGEMENT - Young men that want to enroll in the police force in Ambon,
surely will pass their testing when paying 7 million rupiahs. This amount of money
equals more than a six months' salary of an average employee but is cheerfully paid,
because "so is life" and a job as a police officer is worth the incurred debt. This is just
a sample of the everywhere present usurping of the powerless.
Worse still is the mismanagement of huge sums of money which are meant for
refugees but never will reach them. "Suara Pembaharuan" daily reports that the
people of the village of Waai have been deprived of 6 billion rupiahs (approximately Eur
530.000,-), The Moluccas public prosecutor said he would get to the bottom of this
case, and likewise with several similar cases elsewhere in the Moluccas. Other major
samples of corruption relate to the purchase of the government run passengership NV
Pamahunusa, for which 14 billion rupiahs had been laid down, but - being a
second-hand ship - cost only 6,4 billion. In matters of Moluccas Health Care a
mismanagement of 30 billion rupiahs is reported.
We learn that in the Dutch parliament there were questions by an MP named Karimi
(Left-Green Party) on how and with what sums of money the Netherlands has provided
assistance to the Moluccas and North Moluccas since the unrest started (January
1999), and what has been done with all that money. Likewise the role of the UN /
UNDP in financial aid to the Moluccas was questioned.
2. FOREIGN JOURNALISTS BANNED? - According to the Sydney Morning Herald
former President Megawati, shortly before stepping down from office, ordered to forbid
foreign journalists to visit Aceh, Papua, Central Kalimantan, Central Celebes and the
Moluccas. However, a spokesman for President S.B.Yudhoyono has stated that
foreign journalists may still apply for visa for these regions.
3. HAPPY IDUL-FITRI - On occasion of Idul-Fitri, Msgr. P.C. Mandagi MSC, Bishop
of Amboina, offers his warm well-wishing to the Muslims among our readers and his
prayers for God's Benevolent blessing on the worldwide Muslim community.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina |
