BBC World News, Thursday, 6 May, 2004, 08:05 GMT 09:05 UK
Speedboat attack in Moluccas
Gunmen travelling in a speedboat have shot and killed two villagers and wounded
others in Indonesia's Moluccan islands, according to police.
It is the first such incident outside the provincial capital, Ambon, since clashes
between Muslim and Christian groups killed 38 people last week.
There are fears of a return to recurrent clashes, which killed around 5,000 people three
years ago.
The UN has evacuated its staff from Ambon following the unrest.
A 38-year-old Christian man and an 11-month-old baby were shot from a speedboat
as they were fishing on Buru island, police said.
Three other people were wounded.
Clashes first broke out last week after a small, predominantly Christian separatist
group staged a rally in the city.
Despite the presence of more than 1,000 extra police and soldiers drafted in to help
quell the unrest, several buildings were set on fire, including a church.
This was the worst violence in the region since a peace deal was signed in 2002,
ending three years of bitter fighting which left more than 5,000 people dead.
The conflict then was exacerbated by the presence of Muslim militants from other
parts of Indonesia.
The BBC's correspondent in Jakarta, Rachel Harvey, says hardline Muslim leaders in
Jakarta are once again threatening to send their own fighters to Ambon if, as they put
it, the security forces fail to deal with the situation.
© BBC MMIV
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