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 10, 2004
THE SITUATION IN AMBON/MOLUCCAS – Report No. 433
1. CHURCHES CALL ON INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT - The WCC general
secretary, Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia, has called on the Indonesian Government to take
immediate steps to put an end to the violence in the Moluccas.
The complete text of his letter, which was dated May 5th and addressed to president
Megawati Soekarnoputri, is as follows:
The World Council of Churches has received with dismay and concern reports of the
outbreak of violence and conflict between Muslims and Christians in the Malukus
region since 25 April. As a result of the ongoing violence over 33 people have lost
their lives and 238 people have been injured.
These events have come after a period of relative calm and intercommunal harmony
between Muslims and Christians in the region. The member churches of the World
Council of Churches have all along striven for peace and reconciliation between the
two communities and in this connection have consistently promoted inter-religious
dialogue, through the Communion of Churches in Indonesia, particularly in the
Malukus region. It is important that these efforts do not suffer a set-back because of
actions of a few extremists on both sides of the religious divide.
We are particularly concerned by the attacks and acts of arson at the Indonesian
Christian University in the Malukus that have resulted in the complete destruction of
16 lecture rooms that catered to the faculties of Theology, Civil Engineering,
Economics as well as Social and Political Sciences. Priceless collections of books
accumulated over many years, including the Maluccana and Idonesiana collections,
have been completely gutted as a result of the attack on the University library.
According to the reports received by us, much of the damage and spread of violence
could have been avoided if the Indonesian Security Forces were vigilant and had
taken timely action against the miscreants. Your Excellency will appreciate that it is
the responsibility of the Government of Indonesia to maintain law and order and to
provide security to the people in the country, particularly in a region like the Malukus
where inter-religious tensions run high.
The World Council of Churches supports the call of the Moderator of the Protestant
Church in the Malukus, Rev. Dr. I.W.J. Hendriks and Msgr P.C. Mandagi MSC, the
Roman Catholic Bishop of Ambonia, that the Indonesian Government take immediate
steps to put an end to the violence in the Malukus. The Government should also
encourage and support peace-building efforts of churches and civil society groups
that are endeavouring to promote inter-religious harmony in the region.
As we make this plea to you, we uphold Muslims and Christians in our intercessions
and pray for peace and reconciliation in the Malukus.
5 May, 2004
Yours sincerely,
( signed )
Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia, General Secretary
2. TRAVELLING ON THE ISLAND OF AMBON - Although most road barricades
between Christian and Muslim communities have been taken down, many residents
still have to spend time and money taking winding mountain routes or speedboat rides
to reach certain destinations. For instance: employees, students, vendors and others
travelling from Ambon to the large Christian-dominated village of Passo v.v. normally
make 13-kilometer trip on a minibus paying Rp 3,000 for the ride. However, now,
christians are afraid to pass through the muslim Ambon neighbourhood of Batumerah,
so that they have no choice other than taking a time consuming ride via an alternative
mountain track that costs Rp 10,000.
To reach the Muslim-dominated Tulehu village from Ambon, a distance of 24
kilometers, people now spend up to Rp 26,000 for two speedboat rides and two
minibus rides from Ambon to Tulehu in order to avoid Passo, whereas it used to cost
just Rp 5,000 on a minibus.
C.J.Böhm msc,
Crisis Centre Diocese of Amboina |
