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, Mei 9, 2004
THE SITUATION IN AMBON/MOLUCCAS – Report No. 432
1. PROFESSIONAL SNIPERS - According to The Jakarta Post newspaper, a
non-governmental organization, named "the Peace Building Institute", said the
snipers, who recently killed a number of Ambon residents, used Styer SSG-69 rifles,
which are widely used by sniper units of the Indonesian Military and Police
sharpshooters.
According to Ichsan Malik, director of the institute and political scientist with the
University of Indonesia, the Styer SSG-69 can hit a target up to one kilometer away
with deadly accuracy and is common in both the military and police. He also said that
the snipers were skilled marksmen, as shown by the fact that victims were shot in the
heart or between the eyes. Fellow activist Abubakar Riry said the weapons being
used by the snipers were similar to those used by antisniper units formed by the
former Pattimura Military commander, Brig. Gen. Max Tamaela, in 2000. "What
happened to these units after a new military commander was installed to replace
Tamaela is still not clear," said Abubakar, the former leader of a militia group
defending a Muslim neighbourhood in Ambon.
2. FKM LEADERS TAKEN TO JAKARTA - Apart from FKM Secretary General Moses
Tuanakotta and the wife and daughter of FKM leader Alex Manuputty, were also taken
to Jakarta an employee at the Governmental Office, Frans Sinmiasa, and a
protestant-christian minister. Others include: Ongen Osmany, Jhon Kailuhu,
Dominggus Pattiiha, Raymond Pattinaya, Semmy Latusumey and Arner Tuhunaya.
3. 35 PROSECUTORS TO DEAL WITH RMS - No fewer than 35 lawyers have been
appointed in Ambon to handle the RMS cases. Up to now twenty indictments have
been entered.
4. NEW POLICE CHIEF - The newly appointed Provincial Police Chief Commander,
Brigader General Aditya Warman, made his first appearance on local TV this evening
in an interview with the mass media.
5. SURRENDER OF WEAPONRY - SCTV commercial TV reports that people in the
North Moluccas recently surrendered to the police 101 rifles and pistols, 1327 bullets
and 9 grenades. However, local military commander Colonel Edy Widagdo assumes
that a lot of weapons are still being kept by civilians. He hopes that people, on behalf
of common safety, will on short notice voluntarily hand over any weaponry and
explosives that they still have in possession.
6. MSF ACTIVITIES - In Ambon, the international Médécins Sans Frontières
organisation is busy in providing sanitary facilities to a number of recently sprung up
or revived refugees sites. Thus our own crisis centre building - having just one
toilet/bathroom for 200 refugees - has been donated a new waterpump and a fiber
water tank. Three additional toilets are being dug by the refugees themselves.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina |
